Amoureux
by taitofan
Summary: Fifteen different couples, fifteen stories to tell. Current ships: Tension, Firebird, WitheredFlower, Challenge, Respect, Negate, Elegance, Chef, Connect, Coma.
1. Tensionshipping

Photographs

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Authors Note: Yeah, so I wrote this forever ago in church and just added a paragraph or two lately… It was initially finished when I wrote _Sauce_ actually. That's why it's rather short compared to how some of my other fics have been lately. Having to watch little kids at church is like, the best way to get the creative juices flowing, you know? Anyways, I've always liked the thought of Harley being in love with his camera. Platonically of course. Um… This is dedicated to Serebii's Harley Fan Club, which never fails to give me good ideas. I love you guys!

Japanese lesson- Harley uses –chan after his pokémon's names because he loves them very much. Take that as you wish.

15pairings theme: #9 photograph

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 12-15-05

* * *

Shuu's eyes widened in shock at the sight that lay before him. What he saw seemed near impossible. Questions such as "what?", "why?", and "how?" ran through his head. But most of all, he wanted to know— 

"When in the world did you take all of these?" Harley looked up from his task at hand and stared at his lover quizzically.

"What do you mean?" Shuu cocked an eyebrow and pointed to the multitude of photos sitting on the table. There were so many that the stacks were threatening to fall over and cover the floor. Harley had been sorting through them when he arrived, and it was the first time Shuu had ever seen them. Sure, he knew his lover had a camera and wasn't afraid to use it, but this was _ludicrous_…

"I _mean_ what I _said_. When did you manage to take all of these pictures? There are hundreds of them!" He picked up one of himself eating ice cream. When had Harley managed to take that one? He hadn't even realized that Harley had had his camera with him that day… He put the photo back down and picked up one of him after a contest that he'd lost.

…That contest had been before they'd started dating… And he didn't even remember seeing Harley there. Another photo from a contest caught his eye as well. He remembered it well enough. It had been before he'd become friends with Haruka… And he had won it. However…

He hadn't even _met_ Harley at that point in time.

This was getting odder by the moment. What exactly _was_ Harley? A stalker? God knew he had his share of those crazy lunatics. A rabid fanboy? He wouldn't be the first one. A psycho effeminate gay guy with a camera fetish? That sounded pretty damn accurate…

Shuu shook his head to clear his mind. He was being ridiculous. Harley was his boyfriend, and he'd known that he was odd _long_ before they'd begun dating. He did dress up like his favorite pokémon after all. He knew he shouldn't be so surprised that his lover had such an odd hobby, but it _did_ make him wonder…

"Exactly how many pictures do you have?" Harley's expression brightened at the question. He quickly stood up from the table and grabbed Shuu's hand, leading him into a different room that the boy had never been in before. Taking a key out of his pocket and unlocking the door, he ushered the astounded boy in. It was quite possibly the biggest room in the house, and it was filled with shelves lined with photo album after photo album.

Obsessive was _definitely_ putting it lightly.

"Oh, I have six more albums of you, nine of Robert, seventeen of Noctus-chan, twelve of when he was Sabonea-chan, fifteen of Jupetta-chan, ten from when he was still Kagebouzu-chan, eleven of them together, seven of Ariados-chan, twenty-nine of all three together, six each of Octan-chan and Pukurin-chan…"

As Harley gushed on and on about all of his photos, Shuu couldn't help but smile. If it made him _this_ happy, then Shuu could deal with him having so many pictures. After all, it wasn't hurting anyone, and it kept him occupied. Better to have him snapping photographs than trying to murder Haruka, right?

…He _had_ noticed that some of them were of him undressing though. He made a mental note to have a nice chat with Harley later about a little thing called "privacy"…


	2. Firebirdshipping

Addicted

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for het, lolicon, and implied sexual activities

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: This was originally a drabble to the word _addicted_ for my friend Vycksta. I thought it fit this theme quite well though… And I really like it despite all of the kinks it presents, especially since this is one of my favorite het couples in Pokemon. So, yeah… Lolicon ahead. Just…give it a try please.

15pairings theme: #7 up close and personal

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 10-25-06

* * *

It was crazy—borderline completely and utterly _insane_—for him to be feeling the way he was. To be so utterly addicted to the kisses of the ten-year-old girl—_or was she eleven now?_—that it kept him up at night, kept him from doing his job, made him go mad with need when she wasn't around…

"Hey, is something wrong? You seem kinda distracted." Such an insightful girl she was when she wanted to be. So sweet despite her mature body. It made her look at least thirteen. Still illegal, but not so bad as—

"How old are you now?" She giggled, not mad because she'd never told him anyways, and ran a delicate hand down his chest.

"I just turned eleven a few weeks ago. Why? Wanna give me a present?" She didn't bring up morals, because they agreed when this first started that it was best not to think of such things. But oh, the way she said it—_present_—and that gleam in her eyes completely contradicted the air of innocence she carried… Innocent his _ass_. He could get twenty years behind bars for the things they'd done late at night. But hey, he was a criminal anyways, so what was one more delectable crime going to matter in the long run?

"What did you have in mind?" he questioned, a low, throaty whisper in her ear that made her shiver.

"How about I just lay back and enjoy the ride?" And that was probably what he found most appealing. She didn't try to dominate him like Rumika and Musashi did. She just went with it, no matter what, smiling and giggling all the way. Until she started moaning of course. He found that she was very sensitive like that.

"All right then. Happy birthday to you…" And then his lips were back on hers, and his hands untucking her shirt while her hands reached for his belt—and they _knew_ it was wrong but _by god,_ they didn't care.

Because he was addicted to her beauty, corrupted innocence, and eagerness to please, while she was addicted to his charm, passion, and occasional naivety to match her own. Together, they were just two individuals who wanted—needed, _loved_—each other, consequences be damned. Just two people…

Just Kojirou and Haruka.


	3. WitheredFlowershipping

Practice Makes Perfect

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Authors Note: When I started writing this, it was going to be part of my fic, _Project G_. However, I ended up taking the story in a new direction, and this no longer fit anywhere. I liked the idea far too much to abandon it though, so I decided just to write it as a one-shot for 15pairings instead. Since I'm sure most people haven't read my fic, just know that Harley's pokémon are human-pokémon hybrids and dating Harley, Shuu is dating Robert, and another guy likes Robert too. The rest doesn't matter, but I encourage anyone who likes this to give _P-G_ a try!

Japanese lesson- Harley uses –chan after his pokémon's names, so the others do too. Cause Jupetta is just too darn cute _not_ to.

15pairings theme: #4 practice makes perfect

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 10-04-06

* * *

"Jupetta-chan, can I talk to you?" The red-eyed hybrid looked up curiously from his task, somewhat surprised that the boy had spoken to him. When they'd been elected to gather firewood, he'd assumed that it would be carried out in virtual silence. Sure, they were friends now, but Shuu still wasn't the most sociable person he knew…

"Sure Shuu! What's up?" The boy took a deep breath, not quite believing what he was about to do. Jupetta-chan might have _looked_ human, but deep down he was still a pokémon. But cute pokémon-human hybrid or not, he was still the closest to Shuu's age. Plus, other than Robert, he was really the only one in the group with whom Shuu was comfortable. And he certainly couldn't talk to his boyfriend about this.

"First, promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to ask you." The hybrid nodded, smiling amiably.

"Of course! I won't tell anyone, I promise! Not a soul!" Shuu had to resist the urge to bite his lip as he wondered if he should _really_ be doing this… But he'd come this far, so he definitely couldn't turn back _now_…

"All right… So you know that Robert and I are together now, right?" Once he received a nod, he continued. "Well, you see, I… I don't… That is…" When he trailed off, Jupetta-chan dropped his gathered kindling and walked over to him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Whatever was wrong, he knew it must be important to have unnerved _Shuu_ of all people…

"It's okay Shuu, you can tell me. I promise I won't make fun of you or anything. We're friends, so you can trust me." Shuu sighed, knowing that the longer he hesitated, the harder it would be to ask him…

"…I don't know how to kiss. I mean, I know _how_, but not anything more than the basic stuff. Robert obviously knows what he's doing, but I can't ask _him_ to teach me. But you— I've seen you with Harley and Noctus-chan before, so you must know what you're doing too. So I… I want you to teach me how to kiss!" Jupetta-chan stared disbelieving at the boy. His face, unsurprisingly, was flushed a deep red. It must have taken a lot of courage to ask that… Especially for someone like Shuu…

"Well…"

"Look, I know you love Harley and Noctus-chan, and I love Robert, so don't think I want you to cheat on them or anything! I just want a lesson—that's it. You know what to do, I don't, you won't tell anyone, I—" Jupetta-chan figured that this was what humans called "freaking out." And if Shuu continued in this frenzied manner, he was liable to black out from a lack of air. So he did what he assumed was the best course of action…

He started the lesson.

Shuu, though he had obviously hoped that Jupetta-chan would help him, hadn't expected him to be so…enthusiastic about it. He _surely_ didn't expect the hybrid to pin him to the ground and ravage his mouth—tongue and all—like there was no tomorrow. Not that he was complaining mind you. Picking Jupetta-chan as a teacher had _definitely_ been a good idea. Perhaps even _too_ good, because Shuu was having a difficult time getting enough oxygen to keep from passing out…

"Lesson one," Jupetta-chan stated as he quickly pulled away, not sounding in the least bit out of breath "is how to breathe through your nose during a heavy make-out session. We'll begin the practice now." And with that, Jupetta-chan's tongue was once again attempting to reach the back of Shuu's throat. The coordinator had no idea if that was even possible, but he had a feeling he'd soon find out…

After Shuu had mastered the first lesson—he was a quick study, so it only took one more time of almost passing out to perfect it—they moved onto lesson two. That involved Shuu mimicking Jupetta-chan's tongue motion. Then came what to do with your hands… They both enjoyed that one. The more techniques they went over, the more Shuu's mind conflicted. On one hand, Jupetta-chan was an excellent teacher, and he was bound to blow Robert away the next time they were alone…

But what if Robert questioned how he suddenly knew what he was doing? What if someone came looking for them—really, how long did getting firewood take?—and found them like _this_? What if it was Robert and he never trusted him again? What if it was Harley or—god forbid—Noctus-chan, and they gutted Shuu right then and there? What if… What if he ended up liking this as much as he currently did and started having second thoughts?

'_Oh, what the hell am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this with anyone but my boyfriend… Robert wouldn't have cared! I'm such an idi— Oh god, what was **that**?_'

When Shuu had stopped responding, Jupetta-chan kicked the lesson up a notch. Maybe he didn't love Shuu like he loved his boyfriends, but this was _way_ too fun to stop already. _He_ was getting to be the dominant one for once after all.

"Jupetta-chan," he managed to gasp in between the passionate kisses he was receiving, "we should— They'll come— _Stop_…" Well, this was no good. How could he teach a reluctant student? He supposed that he'd just have to change Shuu's mind…

"Okay Shuu," the hybrid said, pulling away completely and sitting up, "I'll stop. You've certainly made progress… Not perfect of course, but you've improved at least." Hook, line, sinker. Just as Jupetta-chan expected, Shuu's ego was a bit too big to accept _that_ assessment.

"What do you mean '_not perfect_'? '_Improved at least_'? I heard you moan a few times too!" …And Jupetta-chan had won.

"Well, yeah, you're way better now, but not _perfect_. I still have a lot to teach you. Don't you humans have a saying about perfection?" Shuu allowed the hybrid to lower himself back down, suddenly no longer caring about anyone coming and looking for them. Sudden thoughts of Rani hanging off his boyfriend cemented his decision.

"You mean '_practice makes perfect_,' right? Yeah, it does. So… More practice then?"

"Oh, _lots_," Jupetta-chan agreed.

And practice they did.


	4. Challengeshipping

Together

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, shota, and incest

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: …I don't know. I honestly don't know. I wanted to write my Diamond/Pearl OTP, and somehow this idea came up… It's not quite what I'd had in mind, but I like the end result. And if you can get through this extremely kinky chapter, you can probably handle anything I put up here. If this isn't your cup of tea, well, I'll be going to slightly more normal pairings in the future.

15pairings theme: #10 together

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 01-13-07

* * *

At eighteen, Kurotsugu married a beautiful girl named Kiyoko who had loved him for years. He wasn't sure that he loved her the same way _she_ loved _him_, but it was okay. She accepted his future goals and didn't mind that he closed his eyes during their honeymoon. And when she got pregnant following their honeymoon, he was more excited than he'd ever been. He'd always wanted a child after all.

At nineteen, his wife had their child—a baby boy who they named Jun. He was small and pudgy like most babies, but he had a wisp of blond hair on his tiny head, and there was no denying that he was Kurotsugu's son. He put aside his dreams to raise Jun with his wife, and he put up with late night crying, numerous ruined shirts from spit-ups, and more dirty diapers than he'd ever thought one baby could produce, because his son was perfect, and he loved him more than life itself.

At twenty, he celebrated Jun's first birthday. Kiyoko tried to convince him that a one-year-old had no use for a big screen TV and a waterbed—"He still sleeps in a crib!"—but he refused to listen. After all, his son only deserved the very best, and he'd have a use for them eventually. And later that year, when Jun's first word was _papa_ instead of _mama_, he took it as a personal victory.

At twenty-one, he experienced the so-called "terrible twos," which he thought were highly overrated. Sure, Jun went through a rather rough potty-training period in which he thought the potty-chair made a nice hat, but it wasn't _that_ big a deal. He was talking and walking and knew who people and things were. Sure, his skills were still rusty, but Kurotsugu was always there to teach him more. That year, Kiyoko got a job at the local flower shop, and they both ignored the fact that the _wife_ was working while the _husband_ raised the child. They preferred it that way.

At twenty-two, Kurotsugu decided that the term "terrible _threes_" was far more appropriate. Jun whined, said no to everything his mother said, and refused to get dressed in the morning and go to bed at night… But his pouting was adorable, he still did everything Kurotsugu asked of him, and truthfully, he had no problems letting his son run around in his footy pajamas and stay up until they both fell asleep on the couch with the TV on. Kiyoko said he was spoiling Jun—he said that he didn't care.

At twenty-three, he decided to start training his pokémon again, as Jun had taken quite an interest to the pretty balls his daddy had that he wasn't allowed to play with. Thus, Jun met Dysodon, Milokaross, and Kairyu. Much to Kurotsugu's delight, Jun immediately took a shine to his pokémon. When Jun said that he wanted to be a pokémon trainer when he was older, "just like you daddy," Kurotsugu didn't think that he'd ever smiled more in his entire life.

At twenty-four, it all started, even if no one was aware of it at the time. Kiyoko had finally decided that it was time for Jun to make friends his own age, so they sent him to an afternoon playgroup. One of Kiyoko's coworkers had a daughter who enjoyed it—a pretty little girl named Hikari. They quickly became friends with another boy, named Kouki. Kurotsugu didn't mind it too much… After all, it was only for a few hours each day, leaving plenty of time for them to spend together afterward.

One day, while Jun was in playgroup, Kurotsugu got a call from the parent running it telling him to come down to her house right away. Afraid that his son had fallen and broken his leg and was lying on the ground bleeding, he bolted out of the house and had Kairyu fly him to the woman's home in no time at all. He was a bit confused when Jun ran up to him once they landed and jumped into his arms, but he was relieved nonetheless. What _really_ confused him was how the mother was blushing and wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"I-I think you s-should t-take Jun home," she stuttered, thoroughly embarrassed at _something_. "Ask him w-what we t-talked about…" He did just that, and could see why the woman had been so flustered.

"She asked us what we wanted to be when we grow up. And I said I wanna be daddy's bride!" Kurotsugu was sure that his face had rivaled the woman's. But regardless, he did his best to explain to his five-year-old son why he couldn't do that, because they were both boys _and_ related. Jun had only pouted and insisted that he _would_ be daddy's bride, no matter what anyone else thought.

When Kiyoko came home from work, he didn't tell her about it.

At twenty-five, he got an offer to be to the Tower Tycoon in the newly built Shinou Battle Tower. It was an offer of the highest honor, as the Tower Tycoon was required to be stronger than even the League Champion. After three days of long debate, he agreed to take the job. Jun had cried when he heard the news, begging to go too. But it was no place for a young boy, and as desperately as Kurotsugu wanted to say yes, he knew he couldn't. So the family traveled to Kissaki City and watched as Kurotsugu boarded the ferry to the Battle Tower.

Watching Jun cry and beg for him to come back almost made him jump off the ferry and _swim_ back, but he blocked the sight out and decided to throw himself into his work once he arrived so he wouldn't constantly think of the family he left behind… He lasted an impressive two weeks before he started visiting one weekend a month, with extra time for holidays. Though leaving again always hurt just as much as the very first time.

At twenty-six, Jun's birthday fell in the middle of the week, and Kurotsugu wasn't able to get home until three days afterwards. He'd already felt horrible, but it was even worse when Jun wouldn't talk to him all day long. Kiyoko admitted that he'd been moping ever since his birthday, and he knew that he had to make it up to his son… When he offered to let Jun stay a week with him at the Battle Tower, all was instantly forgiven, and Kurotsugu found himself with a bundle of blond in his arms.

Jun watched his father battle with pokémon he'd never seen before—Heatran, Regigigas, and Crecelia—loving every minute of it. When the time to go home finally came, he'd begged to stay, insisting that he'd be happier here than with his mother who worked all of the time. Kurotsugu had smiled sadly and kissed his son's forehead, promising that he could visit again sometime. Then he'd given him one last birthday present—a green scarf. "It'll match your eyes."

He was pleased to see Jun wearing it whenever he came home.

At twenty-seven, Kurotsugu finally realized that his son's previous wish was more than just the silly antics of a five-year-old boy. After all, it wasn't everyday that your son suddenly crawled into your lap and kissed you. And though it was nothing than a mere brush of their lips, it was an obvious gesture…

"Why?" Jun smiled at the simple question, wrapping his short arms around his father's neck and snuggling into his broad chest.

"Because I love you daddy. I'm gonna be your bride when I grow up, remember?"

"Jun, no… You're my son and I'm married to your mother."

"So? Mom's never home anyway. She doesn't have to know."

All Kurotsugu could do was gently push Jun off his lap and walk up to his room. It certainly didn't help matters that night when Kiyoko complained that they hadn't made love since Jun was conceived…or when he realized that he didn't _want_ too.

The rest of that year, he stayed at the Battle Tower more often than not. He tried not to think about Jun, and when he did, he tried to convince himself that he was still young and didn't know what he was talking about. And more than anything, he tried to convince himself that he didn't like the idea in the first place.

At twenty-eight, he continued visiting only during big holidays. He sent packages home for Jun's birthday and the minor holidays. During the major holidays, he spent his time dodging Jun and his questions. "Why haven't you been coming home?" was met with "I've been busy at the tower." Kiyoko accepted the answer, but _they_ both knew better.

He started receiving letters from Jun that year. Letters that were surprisingly well written for a nine-year-old, containing things that he never expected to hear from his son. How Jun thought he was handsome and strong and that he wanted to kiss him again. Thinking about his little boy writing those words made him feel things…_things_ he knew he shouldn't feel. He felt dirty, but he didn't stop thinking them.

At twenty-nine, he got a letter from Kiyoko saying that Jun had gotten his first pokémon, a Hirozaru, and was finally going out on his own adventure, just as Kurotsugu had done with his Sihorn nineteen years ago. It seemed surreal—his son was ten-years-old, had his first pokémon, and was out on his own, able to go wherever he pleased… And somehow, he had a feeling it wouldn't be long before Jun found his way to the Battle Tower.

Sure enough, he was informed one day that his son was there to visit. He almost had security make him enter the tower's challenge likes everyone else had to, but no. He allowed Jun past security and up to his room. He hadn't been there since he was seven, but it hadn't changed much. _They_ hadn't changed much. Kurotsugu still had the green coat Jun had gotten him for Father's day—with Kiyoko's money of course—when he was six, and Jun still kept the green scarf he'd received for his seventh birthday. Wild blond hair, bright orange eyes… They looked as they always had…

But somehow, Jun was still different. He seemed more confident, more mature… He made Kurotsugu feel dirtier than he ever had, because he was still his ten-year-old son. But despite all that, when Jun greeted him with a chaste kiss on the lips and a whispered, "I missed you dad," he did nothing to condone nor condemn his son's actions. Jun had smirked at the reaction and said he couldn't stay long, but he'd be back. "I'm gonna be your bride sooner or later after all."

He knew he'd lost the battle the night he woke up with Jun's name on his lips and dirty sheets. And he wasn't nearly as upset by it as he was sure he should be.

At thirty, Jun came to the tower on his birthday, claiming that since they'd spent so many birthdays apart, he'd make sure he turned eleven with his father on his own. The idea of inviting his mother was merely laughed at. "I want a _very_ special present," he'd whispered, straddling his father, their faces mere centimeters apart, "can you give me that…daddy?" Kurotsugu hadn't even bothered to suppress the shivers that ran through his body at those words—words that were far too husky to be coming from someone so young.

"Yes," he'd answered, putting his arms around the lithe body in his lap, "I think I can." And for the first time, Kurotsugu kissed Jun—clicking teeth and bumped noses evened out by roaming hands and slick tongues. For Jun's first real kiss, he was quite good. It only served to turn Kurotsugu on even more. Whatever Jun wanted, he would give him… Jun wanted it all. Kurotsugu gave it to him.

"Can I be your bride yet?" The question came after Jun's birthday present was over and they were lying in bed together, naked, sweaty, and satiated. Kurotsugu pulled his son closer and laid a kiss to his temple, earning a smile from the little blond.

"…Of course. You'll be my adorable little wife." Jun nodded happily and curled up to his father's chest, sleep overtaking him. Kurotsugu laid awake, watching his son sleep and wondering how this had happened—how his love had gone from platonic to _this_. By the time he fell asleep, he decided that it really didn't matter…

Because his son was perfect, and he loved him more than life itself.


	5. Respectshipping

Mind Games

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossdressing

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: I started this forever ago, but now it's finally done! This takes place during the battle frontier in Kanto, though no specific time… And I know someone will yell at me for my character portrayal but really, no one can be _that _naïve _all _the time. Even in anime land. Now! If you wanna see what Shuuko looks like, I have some pics—well, pixel dolls—in my scraps at my DeviantArt account. Same user name their as here. Satoko's club outfit is there too.

15pairings theme: 11 mind games

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 01-21-07

* * *

Shuuko picked up a blue skirt from a rack, holding it to her waist. Not bad… But not that _good_ either. She sighed and put it back, next selecting a bright orange one. She usually stayed away from the warmer colors, but most of her wardrobe was black. Maybe it was time for a change…

"Oh sweetie, don't get that. The orange clashes with your hair too much." Shuuko took no offense. Finding clothes that went with her mint green hair was the hardest part to coordinating her outfits. Besides, the orange dress the girl was wearing was enough for both of them. Add to that her pink bow and red Mary Jane's… The girl looked a few years older than she was, but her clothes held an air of naivety. It was almost like Gothic Lolita, only with more color. Still… It worked for her. If Shuuko liked girls, she'd find this one particularly alluring.

"I suppose you're right. What would you suggest? I'm trying to stay away from black today…" The blonde nodded and scanned the rack intently before her face broke out into a grin. She eagerly handed Shuuko a hot pink skirt.

"There you go! Now all you need is a shirt in a lighter shade of pink and you'll look fabulous!" Shuuko held it up and smiled as well. This girl wasn't half-bad…

"Thanks, um…" The girl giggled and held out her hand.

"Satoko." Shuuko accepted the hand and shook it gratefully, noting the soft skin. Yes, it certainly was too bad she only liked guys…

"Nice to meet you Satoko. I'm Shuuko." Satoko giggled, a glint of _something_ in her eyes.

"Shuuko you say? Well, the pleasure's all mine. Maybe I'll see you around?" Shuuko shrugged, not quite liking the look she was receiving.

"Maybe…" If Satoko noticed her odd behavior, she made no mention of it.

"Great! I gotta go now, but I'll see you later, okay?" Before Shuuko could answer, the blonde was already heading out of the store. She shook her head and went off to search for a matching shirt. Strange girl…

* * *

Shuuko returned to her hotel room and set her bags down. She'd found some really cute clothes… It was just too bad she wouldn't get the chance to wear them for a while. It'd be a few days at least, seeing as the contest she was planning on entering wouldn't be until the end of the week. True, she could do her training as she was now, but the chances of someone she knew seeing her were too great.

She stripped off her clothes piece by piece, black fabric carefully getting folded and set on the bed. By the time she was in her undergarments, she stopped and considered her options. She could get away with leaving the silky panties on, but the bra had to go… That decided, she pulled out different clothes from her travel bag and redressed. Once that was done, she removed her hairpieces and brushed the mint green strands into another, equally familiar, style.

The last of her feminine garments gone, Shuuko disappeared…

…And Shuu was left standing in her place. The boy sighed and began digging for his monster balls, knowing they'd been under the clothes he was now wearing. As much as he wanted to train as Shuuko, the chance that Harley or Haruka would show up at the upcoming contest wasn't worth it. The last thing he needed was for one of the two biggest gossips he knew to recognize him and spread his secret. He wasn't ashamed, but that didn't mean he wanted every newspaper in Kanto to have the headline that one of the most popular coordinators on the circuit was a crossdresser. He was sure that his fangirls would be heartbroken… Or at least jealous that he looked better in girls' clothes than they did.

He found his last monster ball and headed back out for his training.

* * *

"Okay Flygon, try to dodge Roselia's attacks!" Flygon's evasive maneuvers were top priority at the moment, seeing as Haruka's Zenigame, though not strong, had great dumb luck. Shuu really didn't want to lose because of a fluke.

"Oh, hey Shuu!" Speaking of Haruka… He didn't turn around as he heard her running towards him, knowing that it would tick her off.

"Haruka. I suppose you're here for the contest, correct? I hope you don't plan on winning…" Haruka, who had just reached the park he was training in, scowled at his haughty tone.

"Oh, and I guess you think _you'll_ win?" He didn't bother to answer her, instead keeping his gaze on his pokémon. "Whatever… Anyways, you haven't seen Satoshi, have you? He kinda disappeared this morning when we got here, and we can't find him…" That caught Shuu's attention. He finally turned around and saw that yes, her little group was missing a member. And it just so happened that the missing boy was the only one Shuu really cared for. He had spirit and enthusiasm without being a complete airhead… Plus, he was pretty cute. It was just too bad he seemed completely naïve when it came to romance. He had missed all of Shuu's subtle attempts at flirting after all.

"Why would I have seen one of _your_ friends? Besides, don't you think he's old enough to take care of himself? He _is_ older than you after all." Haruka opened her mouth to remind him that Satoshi was older than _he_ was too, but she was cut off by a loud voice.

"Hey guys! Sorry I took so long!" The very teen in question ran up to the group, looking sheepish. Pikachu, who sat on his head, mirrored his trainer's expression. "I, uh, had a few things to do."

"Like what?" Masato questioned, cocking an eyebrow. "You were gone for a long time…"

"Oh, you know…things." Pikachu nodded, giving his assent with a firm '_Pika_.'

"What things—?"

"Hey, let's go eat guys! I'm starving!" Satoshi's blatant attempt to change the subject didn't go unnoticed, but his friends nodded regardless, knowing that he'd tell them if he wanted them to know. Satoshi turned to Shuu, who had gone back to pretending to ignore them once the boy had shown up, and grinned. "Hi Shuu! Wanna go eat with us?" Shuu considered accepting, but quickly decided against it.

"I don't think so. I have better things to do than waste my time with the likes of _you_." Shuu couldn't see it, but there was a glint of amusement in Satoshi's eyes.

"Well, all right. If you say so…" He turned to the others, an enthusiastic expression adorning his face. "Come on then, I'm starving!" They left Shuu alone then, saying things along the lines of how Satoshi was _always_ hungry. The coordinator wanted to follow, really he did. But he wasn't one of them, and he knew it'd be awkward. No, it'd be best to leave them alone and train…

If he got enough done that night, maybe he could go out… Or rather, maybe _Shuuko_ could go out…

* * *

What Shuu wanted, Shuu got. So that night, he threw caution to the wind and dug out his new clothes. Shuuko smiled to herself as she snuck out of the hotel. She had heard that the town had a great nightlife… And if Haruka was out and about at this hour, the darkness would provide a good cover. Yes, she was going to have _fun_ tonight.

It took a while, but she found a "junior" bar—no alcohol allowed. She got in without any problems, not that she thought that she would. No one had bothered to look past her fake chest to notice that she looked quite similar to a coordinator with a name that was equally similar.

Perhaps the name she'd chosen was a _bit_ too close to her real name, but the risk was rather exciting.

…However, the club _wasn't_. The music was awful, and the company was worse. She was used to boys looking at her, but these idiots didn't respect her "_look but don't touch_" policy. The last thing she wanted was for one of these hormonal male apes to grope her and find out that she had a lump of flesh hanging between _her_ legs. Yes, _that_ would go over well. But if the imbecile bugging her didn't stop soon, that was _exactly_ what would happen.

"Look, you're just not my type." Either he didn't notice her annoyed tone, or he just didn't care. Mostly likely the latter.

"Come on baby, what is your type then?" Quite frankly, she would rather spend the night with Harley than this idiot, but she never got her chance to tell him off…

"_I'm_ her type." …Because a familiar looking girl beat her to it.

"Satoko…" The blonde winked and smiled sweetly at her. Their wardrobes seemed to have switched. Whereas Satoko had been wearing colorful clothing during their initial meeting and Shuuko had worn black, now Shuuko was decked out in pink and Satoko was dressed in a black and white Lolita-esque outfit.

The irritating male looked back and forth between the two of them before a grin broke out on his face. Shuuko rolled her eyes, knowing what was going to come next…

"Oh wow, lesbians! _Awesome_! Why didn't you tell me?" Shuuko stayed silent, hoping he'd leave her alone now. She might be gay, but she wasn't a lesbian. However, tonight didn't seem to be her lucky night. "Can I watch you and your girlfriend have sex?" Shuuko was two seconds away from punching him when she felt Satoko tug on her arm.

"Come on sweetie, I know a better place than this dump." Shuuko followed immediately, leaving the disappointed male whining for them to come back. They didn't stop until they were a few blocks away. The place at which they stopped looked awfully familiar to Shuuko… She quickly realized that it was the same park she'd trained at earlier that day. She chalked it up to coincidence as Satoko led her to a bench that was right next to the area she'd met up with Haruka.

"Thanks," she said as they sat down. "He was one step away from getting my foot in his crotch. You saved me from needing to buy new boots." Satoko giggled and scooted closer to her new friend.

"It was no problem. I had a feeling you'd be going out tonight, and I'm just glad I found you before someone else got their claws into you." Shuuko felt her cheeks heat at the girl's tone. It was very flattering, but…

"Look, Satoko, I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong idea. I don't like girls like that…" Satoko giggled and moved closer still until their fingertips were touching. She grinned as Shuuko's blush deepened even more.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that. But… It's okay, because I don't like girls either." Shuuko raised an eyebrow at the seemingly contradictory statement. The blonde paid her no attention. "But I guess that's not a problem, now is it _Shuu_?" Green eyes widened and locked with deep brown ones. Brown eyes that suddenly looked _very_ familiar…

"Who are you…? And how do you know my name?" Satoko giggled again, but this time, it wasn't in the soft feminine voice she'd come to know…

"Come on, Shuuko is about as original as Satoko. Being in the same situation, it wasn't hard to tell. But don't worry, I doubt Haruka will ever notice." Shuuko had to use all of her willpower not to let her jaw drop.

"Satoshi?!"

"Uh uh," she chided in her feminine voice, wagging her finger back and forth, "it's Satoko when I'm dressed like this, just like you're Shuuko." She didn't know what to say. Satos—Sato_ko_ was like her? It seemed unreal…

"Sorry. But, it's just… I never would have suspected _you_ of all people…"

"I could say the same about you," Satoko replied with a grin. "Arrogant Shuu dolls himself up to become the sociable Shuuko, and I go from a headstrong guy who knows nothing about romance to a cute, flirty girl. Dressing up like this lets me do the things I can't do when I'm with my friends. I'm guessing it's the same for you, huh?" Shuuko nodded, taking this all in. So the naïve Satoshi was just a front… She could understand that. It was much easier to do certain things as a girl than as a guy…

"I suppose so… May I ask how you started?" If Satoko hadn't been in the exact same situation, she would have wondered how in the world this sweet, polite girl was actually one of the most egotistic boys in all of Kanto…and Houen…and maybe even Jouto.

"I got kicked out of the Tamamushi gym for not liking the perfume they sold there, so Roketto Dan dressed me up as a girl to get me in. Of course, they ended up starting a huge fire, but without them, I never would have become Satoko. In fact, the dress you saw me in this morning was the same one from that day. It's a real pain to hide it in my backpack, but no one's found it yet… Well, Pikachu knows about it, but he's not going to tell anyone… And how about you? I'm sure your story is more interesting than mine." Shuuko blushed lightly, remembering perfectly how it happened. She'd never told anyone, but Satoko had shared with her… It was only fair to return the favor.

"…I was in a dressing room, and the girl in there before me left the clothes she didn't want. I was curious, so I tried them on… And I really liked the way I looked. So I changed back and told one of the women working that I needed a present for my twin sister, and she helped me pick out a bunch of different outfits. They had a great sale that day too, so I started out with quite the selection…" Satoko was silent for a few moments, playing the scene in her head… Then she promptly burst out laughing. The image of Shuu picking up the habit solely because it looked good was simply _too_ fitting.

Shuuko flushed heavily, scowling at the blonde. However, when the bright laughter showed no signs of stopping, she smiled to herself. Not that she found it funny, but Satoko's laughter was contagious. _All_ of Satoko was contagious…

Satoko was too busy laughing to notice Shuuko getting closer and closer to her. In fact, it wasn't until a pair of soft lips covered hers that she stopped laughing and started paying attention. She wasn't surprised, truth be told. Actually, it was Shuuko who was surprised once Satoko quickly began returning the kiss.

'_Well, she **did** say she didn't like girls that way…_'

When they pulled away, they both had matching smiles on their faces. It seemed they had learned a few things about each other that night… And for once, they were completely okay with their secrets getting out.

* * *

"I wonder where he went this time…" Haruka, Masato, Takeshi, and Pikachu walked slowly down the street, trying to find their missing friend. Of course, Pikachu knew where his trainer was… But he wasn't telling.

"He's gotta be here somewhere," Masato answered his sister. Takeshi nodded, knowing better than anyone that it was odd for Satoshi to run off with no warning whatsoever.

"Yeah, he's—wow, look at them!" Before either of the siblings could say a word, Takeshi was rushing over to two pretty girls having lunch at an outdoor café. One was a blonde wearing black and white, and the other had mint green hair and was dressed in only black. When the hormonal male rushed over to them, hearts in his eyes, the latter girl's eyes widened, but the former girl just looked amused.

"May we help you sir?" Takeshi took the blonde's hand, kissing the back of it like a gentleman.

"Ah, such beauty! Such perfection! And in double! Please, kind ladies, tell me your names!" The green-haired girl looked reluctant, but a glance from the blonde made her sigh and answer.

"Shuuko…"

"And I'm Satoko!" Takeshi paused at the answers, a thoughtful look on his face.

"That name sounds familiar… You _look_ familiar too. Have we met before?" Satoko giggled, a secretive smile on her face.

"It's possible…" Takeshi opened his mouth to say something, but the siblings finally caught up to him, and a sharp tugging on his ear stopped him in his tracks.

"We don't have time for this!" Masato exclaimed, the irritation in his voice evident. "We have to find Satoshi!" Takeshi managed to yank himself from the boy's grasp and flung himself at Satoko, grasping her hands within his own.

"No, he'll be fine. I need to stay with my soul mate!" Satoko was seconds away from bursting out laughing, but Shuuko… Well, she just looked ticked off.

"Hey!" she yelled, effectively getting everyone's attention, including a few people who had nothing to do with it at the other tables. "Get your hands off my girlfriend!"

Everyone went silent at the outburst… Except for Satoko, who couldn't contain herself and finally started laughing. Shuuko flushed as she realized what she'd done… But she didn't take it back. Takeshi blushed too, but for different reasons… Before he could ask the girls a similar question to what they'd heard the night before, Haruka apologized for him and quickly pushed the hormonal teen away. Masato looked the girls over with a critical eye before he ran off after them.

"Well," Satoko commented once her unsuspecting friends were out of sight, "_that_ was interesting. I can't believe Takeshi didn't remember me…" Shuuko was still flushed, and she refused to meet her friend's gaze.

"I suppose it _is_ rather amusing to see you play mind games with them…" Satoko merely smiled in response. There was no doubt denying it… Sure, she loved her friends dearly, but sometimes they made it _too_ easy. "Satoko…" The blonde snapped out of her musing and immediately became concerned when she saw how nervous Shuuko looked.

"What is it sweetie?" She bit her lip, finally daring to look the blonde in the eyes. The compassion in the brown orbs gave her the courage she needed to continue.

"I… I'd hate to be a liar you know… Do you want to, you know…" Satoko giggled and reached across the table to take the flustered girl's hands in hers.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend Shuuko. And… Satoshi would like to be Shuu's boyfriend too, if you think he'd like that." Shuuko nodded, a grin spreading across her face.

"Yeah, I think he'd like that a lot…"

* * *

"Satoshi, where have you been? You had us worried sick!" Satoshi laughed as Pikachu jumped to his shoulder, chirping happily.

"Sorry guys… I was out with Shuu." Haruka's eyes widened as she finally noticed her rival standing a few feet away, a smirk on his face.

"Shuu…? What were you doing with _him_?" Satoshi only grinned in response, knowing that what had happened that day would never reach her ears. It was good to keep her on her toes… Just without her knowing of course. No need to let them realize he wasn't as clueless as they thought he was after all.

"Hey Satoshi, I need to get going." Haruka bristled at being ignored, but she didn't get the chance to voice her indignation as Shuu walked over casually and stopped inches away from Satoshi. "I'll see you tomorrow."

There were three simultaneous gasps and a happy "Pika!" as Shuu pressed his lips against the older boy's, which was followed by dropped jaws when Satoshi kissed him back. They paid their audience no attention though, instead opting to enjoy the feeling of their lips moving perfectly against each other's. When they parted, Satoshi ran his hand against Shuu's cheek, smirking smugly when the younger boy's blush came back. He was just too cute sometimes…

"See you then." Without another word, Shuu walked away, wondering how he could get revenge… Ropes came to mind. Satoshi, meanwhile, watched his boyfriend walk away, already excited for the next time they'd meet… And though they weren't planning to meet until the next day, there was no reason why Satoko couldn't go see her girlfriend that night.

"Um, Satoshi?" He turned to his friends, a wide grin on his face.

"Come on guys, I wanna get some training in! Haruka, you should get some in before you have to face Shuu too. So let's go!" He ran off without waiting for a response, leaving his friends behind to chase after him, demanding answers. Answers that he didn't plan to give them. After all, it was _so_ fun to mess with their minds sometimes.


	6. Negateshipping

Love and Hate

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and crossbreeding

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: My first delve into a romance between two pokémon who aren't in a human form… Dunno if I pulled it off, but I had to try. This is one of my fave pokexpoke couples, and the fact that they never got the chance to battle in the anime saddened me. I also took the liberty of turning a pokémon most people think is a girl into a boy. My fic, my decision. I'm planning one more pokexpoke fic in the future with wild pokémon, so if you have any feedback, please let me know! Also, I know I suck at describing contests… Sorry.

15pairings theme: 12 love/hate relationship

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 02-02-07

* * *

It had started the way all of the contests they ended up in started these days. Harley taunted Haruka, Haruka countered, Harley stormed off… Then the appeals came, this time with Ariados-chan and Zenigame trying to impress the judges. Ariados-chan made a beautifully unique appeal complete with his webbing covering the stage with various designs and his Night Head attack giving it the perfect lighting. Zenigame impressed the judges as much as the same old ice and bubbles could. In the end, both made it to the battling, just as they knew they would.

"Do you really think you'll win Kamo-chan?" One smug look was matched with another.

"I've done it before haven't I? _Many_ times…" As expected, this got him seeing red, just as she knew it would.

"Oh, you brat! …Ariados-chan scored better than your Zenigame did." The sudden change of subject didn't throw her off. She was used to it after all.

"So? My Eneko will beat any of your pokémon no problem!" Eneko was one of the pokémon she'd gotten from home before going off to Jouto, and so far she'd been happy with the decision. And today she had a surprise too…

"You got your Eneko back? Good. I haven't had a chance to beat _that one_ yet. This should be easy." Skepticism, right on time.

"Is that so? What makes you think you'll beat me this time?" He gave her a look that actually made her a bit nervous. Like he knew something she _didn't_. This wasn't how it was supposed to go…

"Oh, you'll see…" At that moment Haruka's name was called, indicating it was time for her first battle. Harley smirked as she left, very happy about the pokémon he'd chosen to battle with this time…

* * *

Haruka was happy when things got back to being predictable. She wiped out her first opponent with no problems, taking out the opposing Kireihana with one of Eneko's well-placed Snow Storm attacks. Her super secret new attack she was saving for Harley, who also followed the usual routine, taking out an Airmd with little effort.

And now that she saw his battling pokémon, Haruka was very glad that she had a new secret weapon. After all, the majority of Eneko's attacks couldn't hit a ghost pokémon. Snow Storm wasn't always reliable, and who knew what Cat's Paw would come up with. But with Eneko's new surprise, Jupetta-chan was going _down_.

So as Haruka and Harley faced off in the finals, both felt confident. Haruka sure that things would turn out as they did ninety-five percent of the time, and Harley sure that his luck was about to change.

"Go my pretty buddy, Jupetta-chan!"

"Eneko, stage on!"

And so it began.

"Jupetta-chan, Will-o-Wisp!"

"Eneko, Snow Storm!"

The coordinators, judges, and audience alike expected to see a clash of fire and ice. What they didn't expect was for the two pokémon just to _stare_ at each other.

"Jupetta-chan? What are you doing?"

"Eneko, I said Snow Storm!"

But alas, it was no use. The two pokémon just continued to look at each other, ignoring their trainers. It was perplexing, to say the least. Especially to Harley.

"No, it couldn't be… Jupetta-chan, snap out of it! Will-o-Wisp, now!" His unusually sharp tone knocked Jupetta-chan out of his daze, causing the ghost to respond with a reluctant "Jupe…" and launch his attack.

"Eneko, dodge it, quick!" Seeing the blue flames headed towards her, Eneko snapped to reality and leaped out of the way. The flames just barely brushed her tail, taking Haruka's points down just a little bit.

"Okay Eneko, Cat's Paw!" Before Jupetta-chan could get away, Eneko quickly shot towards him…

"Oh no…" …And it ended up being Bashaamo's Lightning Speed. "Why couldn't it have been something else?"

"Too bad Kamo-chan, but you've met your match! Thunder!" The ghost still seemed reluctant to attack, which still confused Harley. This just didn't make sense…

"Quickly Eneko, Meromero!" And there it was, her secret weapon! Eneko mewed cutely, sending waves of attraction towards Jupetta-chan. However, Haruka's confusion was back in full force when Harley merely laughed at her order.

"That won't work on my little Jupetta-chan, Kamo-chan! You'll have to try better than that…"

"Tatata…" But it seemed that neither coordinator could count on things going the way they expected, since Eneko's attack had effectively immobilized the infatuated ghost.

"What the…?"

"Eneko, we have to hurry before Jupetta snaps out of it! Snow Storm!" Eneko, rather than attack with the blizzard-like attack, pranced cutely over to the lovesick ghost. Jupetta-chan blushed as the pink fluff ball snuggled up to his side. Harley watched the scene in semi-horror, while Haruka just didn't get it. "Eneko, attack! Hurry up; Meromero won't last forever!"

"Nya?"

"Tata, ju, jupe…"

"Nyaa nya!"

"Peta, ju!"

Needless to say, the judges were having the _hardest_ time deciding who to take points from. On one hand, Jupetta-chan was under the effects of Meromero and couldn't attack in his lovesick state. But on the _other_ hand, Eneko was fully capable of attacking, but was ignoring Haruka's orders. Quite the conundrum…

"Eneko, what's wrong?" While Haruka called out uselessly to her pokémon, Harley suddenly had an epiphany. He wasn't going crazy; he'd just made the wrong assumption about his opponent. This actually worked out well…

"Alright Jupetta-chan, snap out of it and use Thunder!" Meromero's effects faded seconds after that, and Jupetta-chan finally attacked, although he _still_ didn't seem pleased. Before anyone knew it, there was one fried pink pokémon lying beside a clearly upset ghost pokémon.

"Jupe…"

"And the winner is Harley by a knock out!"

Harley cheered as Haruka wondered what the _hell_ just happened.

* * *

Haruka sat in the Pokémon center, awaiting her Eneko to be healed after their latest defeat. She _still_ didn't get what happened. It was clear that Jupetta had been immobilized, so why wouldn't Eneko fight? There was obviously something else that she didn't understand…

"Excuse me? Your Eneko is healed Miss." The confused coordinator smiled at Joi and accepted the pink pokémon in her arms, glad she was all right after taking such a powerful attack at close range.

"Oh, thank you! I was so worried that something was wrong with her after the way she was acting during the contest…" Joi—who wasn't the same Joi who'd been judging the contest—giggled, leaving Haruka confused for the umpteenth time that day. She was _really_ getting sick of it too. "What's so funny?"

"Didn't you know? Your Eneko is male, not female."

Suddenly, the confusion she felt multiplied by at _least_ tenfold.

* * *

It was only a matter of time before she found him, he just _knew_ it. Therefore, when Kamo-chan managed to find him at an outdoor café halfway across town, he wasn't in the least bit surprised.

"My Eneko is a boy!" He snorted and sipped his tea, wishing she'd go away. Like, forever.

"I figured as much once Jupetta-chan fell for Meromero." Her face was a mixture of anger and perplexity. She was wearing that look a lot lately. He hoped her face froze like that, the brat.

"But Meromero only works on the opposite gender. So your Jupetta must be a girl!" Maybe he could throw the cup at her head and shut her up… No, he didn't want to waste his tea…

"He most certainly is _not_. Unlike _you_, _I_ can tell the difference in my own pokémon's gender. And all five of my pokémon are male thank you very much. Now go away Kamo-chan; I'm trying to celebrate in peace." Not that he thought that'd make her go away, but it was worth a try.

"But that can't be! Meromero wouldn't work if they're both boys!" Oh _honestly_. To _whom_ did she think she was talking?

"News flash Kamo-chan, there's this little thing called being gay. You know, when you like members of your own gender? Perhaps you've heard of the phenomenon." The sarcasm, of course, was lost on her.

"Yeah, so?" …_Argh_.

"So, Jupetta-chan is gay, that's why the attack worked. And obviously your little fur ball is too, considering he was just as reluctant to attack. The difference is, Jupetta-chan is better trained than _your_ pokémon, so he'd listen to me." He expected an angry retort, but to his disappointment, she just looked thoughtful. Jeez, what fun was _that_?

"…So, then Eneko is in love with Jupetta, and Jupetta loves Eneko?" Oh god, he hoped not.

"Don't be ridiculous. One attack wouldn't make them fall in love." That calm look she wore was beginning to bug him. But then again, _everything_ about her bugged him, so it wasn't a big deal.

"But when they first saw each other, they didn't want to attack either. Maybe it was love at first sight…" …That actually made a lot of sense. But he'd be damned before he'd admit that he agreed with _her_.

"Tch, like _my_ pretty pokémon would fall in love with _your_ fur ball…" '_Please no, please no, please no…'_

"…Maybe we should find out." Ah, he'd been afraid of that.

"Why would I want to—?"

"Because," she cut him off, looking just as annoyed as he felt, "though _you_ don't like _me_ and _I_ don't like _you_, I care about Eneko. And I know that despite all of your selfishness, you care about your pokémon more than anything. Don't you want your Jupetta to be happy?" Oh, he really, _really_, **_really_** hated it when she was right. Especially when he couldn't deny it.

"Yes… But only for Jupetta-chan's sake!" He drained to rest of his tea and threw some money on the table before standing. "Come on, let's get this over with." He ignored her smirk as he led her somewhere private.

* * *

"Eneko, stage on!"

"Go, my pretty Jupetta-chan!"

For the second time that day, the two pokémon found themselves facing each other… Only this time, their trainers didn't start yelling battle commands. Not that they'd have noticed in the first place… Eneko bounded over to Jupetta-chan, who happily chattered as the pink pokémon nuzzled him.

"Aw, that's actually kinda cute!" Harley sighed in defeat. Yeah, they did make a cute little couple. But really… Did it have to be _her_ Eneko?

"Yeah, I suppose…"

They watched their pokémon playing together—Eneko chased Jupetta-chan for a short distance before the ghost turned around and tackled the kitten, both of them laughing in their own languages as the tumbled to the ground. Eneko batted at Jupetta-chan's mouth zipper, and Haruka almost died.

"That's _so **sweet**_! Oh, we can't break them up! We need to think of a way to let them see each other…" She fell silent, trying to come up with a good idea. Harley could think up half a dozen ideas right off the top of his head, but he didn't like _any_ of them. He couldn't shake the nasty feeling that she'd pick the worse possible one though… "We could travel together!"

"No." She pouted at his quick answer. He hadn't even thought about it!

"Look, I know we hate each other, but our pokémon really like each other… It's like…a love hate relationship! Just not really…" He rolled his eyes and she knew she was losing… "And the next time we see Shuu, we could force him to travel with us too. I have some great blackmail on him." And judging by the way his eyes lit up, she'd just hit gold.

"Shuu you say? I suppose that's acceptable, so long as I don't have to interact with the likes of _you_ unless absolutely necessary… But _only_ until we think of something else. By then I should have Shuu totally in love with me…"

"You? No way, Shuu likes me, not a freak like you!"

"Freak? You little bitc—"

The two pokémon ignored their trainers' argument as they snuggled together under a large, shady tree. Unlike fickle humans, they knew exactly when they'd found their mate… And today was their lucky day.

"Jupe… Tatata!" _Humans… They're weird!_

"Nya!" _Right!_

"…Ju tata peta?" …_Think they'll kill each other?_

"Nya. Nya nya." _Maybe. Oh well._

Whatever happened with their trainers, they didn't really care. So long as they got to stay together, they'd be happy.


	7. Eleganceshipping

Misery Loves Company

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi, het, and yuri

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: Oh my, this fic was a long time in the making… I've worked on it off and on for almost a year and a half, but it's finally done… That's what I get for losing interest so many times. See, when I started this, the Battle Frontier season had barely begun, so it's set in there. In fact, only Yamabuki had aired contest-wise. So kindly ignore the fact that it fits nowhere in canon… And ignore the OC near the end too. She barely serves a purpose… Though if you follow _Project G_, you might recognize her. Hope you enjoy this fic, as it's taken me forever!

15pairings theme: 8 misery loves company

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 02-02-07

* * *

It was a beautiful day in Tamamushi City, with people bustling about with their pokémon. There was a feeling of excitement in the air, as the very next day would signal the start of the city's very first Pokémon Contest! The locals were excited at all people from different regions that flocked there, along with the exotic looking pokémon they brought with them. And no one was excited as much as one girl…

"Wow, this place is _so_ big!" Haruka's eyes were glazed over in amazement as she looked around the city, taking in as many sights and sounds as she could.

"Sis," Masato sighed, shaking his head at her antics, "this is no bigger than Minamo City… Is it _really_ that amazing?" Haruka turned on her heel and glared down at her brother.

"Yes, yes it is. Now leave me alone. I wanna do as much as I can before the contest tomorrow. I can go shopping, then look at all the cute pokémon, then do some more shopping, then—" Satoshi and Pikachu looked ready to run, lest the girl start asking for help carrying her bags…

"Don't you think," Takeshi cut in before she could get _too_ far ahead of herself, "that you should register for the contest first? You wouldn't want to miss the deadline." Haruka blinked, snapping out of her dreams of shopping.

"Oh yeah! I'd better do that or I might miss out on my ribbon!" She started to run down the street, narrowly missing a head-on collision with a rather large lady, before she stopped in her tracks. "Hey guys," she called back, "where _is_ the contest hall anyways?"

She was met with four identical sweat drops.

* * *

A quick glance at their trusty guidebook led the group straight to the contest hall. When they walked in, they were immediately met with the sight of hundreds of would-be coordinators and their pokémon. The large room was simply _stuffed_, with barely enough room even to enter.

'_Oh no_,' Haruka thought, a feeling a dread settling in her stomach, '_I'll never get in! Tomorrow will come and go before I even get to the front of the line!_'

As soon as she'd thought that, she noticed the harassed looking receptionist shakily stand on the counter, a loudspeaker in her hands.

"Excuse me everyone," she yelled, the loudspeaker barely being heard over the chitchat of the people, "but I'm afraid that this contest has a minimum of one ribbon. Please, if you don't already have one ribbon, kindly leave now."

That announcement brought a wave of protest and angry trainers demanding entry.

"I SAID NOW!"

And quicker than one could say "Jumping Jupetta," the contest hall had cleared out to a manageable thirty or so people. Haruka let out a breath of relief and quickly took her place in line. She didn't pay attention to anyone else, instead contenting herself to daydreaming as Satoshi talked about battling someone named Erika while Takeshi teased him about someone named Satoko, whoever that was…

'_I wonder if **he'll** be here… That would be so great… I haven't gotten to see him in a while after all. It's really about time he should pop up again, isn't it? Oh, I hope he's here! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!_'

"Hmm… If I use Jupetta-chan for the appeal, then I can use Noctus-chan to fight… Or maybe it should be the other way around… I could always use Ariados-chan… No, I used him last time; Jupetta-chan will think I'm neglecting him! I can't have my pretty buddy thinking that, now can I?"

Haruka stiffened as she heard that voice. It couldn't be, it just couldn't! But who else had those pokémon? Who else called his pokémon his "pretty buddies"? No one that Haruka knew except for…

"Harley!"

Sure enough, a few people ahead of her in line stood a violet-haired man in a Noctus outfit. He tensed up, almost as if debating whether or not to look back. In the end, curiosity won out and he wearily turned around… And he instantly scowled.

"Kamo-chan," he spat out. "What are _you_ doing here? You don't actually think you can _win_ do you?" Haruka quickly ran ahead, ignoring the glares she received from the people in line that she cut.

"Harley! You're here!" Harley was about to make a comment about her being queen of the obvious, when something completely unexpected happened…

Takeshi looked shocked. Satoshi looked confused. Masato looked disbelieving. And Harley… Poor Harley looked ready to throw up.

"What the _hell_ are you _doing_?!" he shrieked, trying to dislodge the girl's hold on his waist. Haruka had an awfully tight grip though, and she wasn't about to be moved _that_ easily.

"Oh Harley, it's been so long since I last saw you!" she gushed, squeezing him tighter. "I hope you're not mad about losing to me in Yamabuki, cause I'm not mad or anything that you told me the wrong time. I'm sure it just slipped your mind."

"Yes," he grunted, trying to get a respectable distance between his body and hers, "I _am_ mad at you, and no, I meant to tell you the wrong time. I," push, "don't," shove, "like you!" Finally, he managed to push her away, mostly due to Haruka's now slack body looking positively mortified.

"You don't like me? Why?" Harley rolled his eyes. Was she _serious_?

"Oh, let's see, you insult Noctus-chan by not knowing what he is, then you call him scary. _Then_ you insulted my cookies. _Then_ you beat me. And you've beat me three times in a row. All the while with your constant "kamo" in every other sentence. It's annoying, _you're_ annoying, and I don't like you, so kindly leave me alone!"

While all of this was going on, the rest of the group watched in utter amazement. At first, they thought that maybe she was pretending, just as Harley had done to her the past three times they'd met up. But as her eyes filled with tears at his words, they weren't so sure…

"Harley, I… It's just… Please forgive me!" He rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms, obviously thinking the same thing her friends had.

"_Puh-leaze_. Do you honestly think I'm going to fall for _that_? I _invented_ pretending to be super-nice and then stabbing people in the back. Just give it up Kamo-chan and let me figure out my contest strategy." Haruka immediately stopped whimpering and didn't look upset at all … In fact, she looked relieved.

"Oh, that's it! You think I'm just _pretending_ to be nice! Don't worry Harley, I'm not pretending!" She glomped his arm this time, much to his disdain. "I'm _so_ glad to see you!"

"And why, pray tell," he growled, once again trying to regain possession of his arm, and once again failing, "is that?"

"Well…" she let go of his arm, hanging her head yet again. "I…"

Harley wasn't sure if he really wanted to hear what she was going to say. Somehow, he _knew_ it was going to give him a headache. So when Haruka raised her head and had a massive blush across her face, his suspicions were more or less confirmed.

"I love you Harley!"

* * *

When Harley woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was lying down on a medical bed. The next thing he noticed was that his head rather hurt. …Then he noticed the clock on the wall and saw what time it was.

"The contest!" he shouted, sitting up. "I have to— Ow!"

"Calm down Harley," a soothing voice said, instantly making the distraught man do just that. "You passed out and hit your head. I brought to the Pokémon Center so you'd be all right until you woke up. Don't worry; I made sure you were registered while the nurse checked to confirm that you didn't have a concussion."

"Robert!" Harley exclaimed happily, knowing that voice anywhere. "I didn't know you were going to enter this contest! I thought you were headed to Shinou this year?" The blond smiled, sitting next to the other man on his bed so he wouldn't have to strain to see him.

"I was," he confessed, lacing their fingers together, "but I missed you. We barely got to spend any time together in Houen, and I think it's time that changed. Quite frankly, I no longer care who knows about us." Harley smirked knowingly.

"That's because you've already won the whole Grand Festival once, so you have nothing to lose." When the blond's smile faded, he quickly added, "But everyone already knows about me anyway, so I don't care. That'd…be great." Robert's smile was back tenfold, and he carefully pulled Harley into his arms. The younger man was so different when no one was around. It made him extremely pleased to know he had such an effect on him.

"I love you." Harley sighed happily, snuggling closer to his lover.

"Love you too hun." All was blissfully silent for a few moments before Harley suddenly remembered why his head hurt in the first place… "Kamo-chan!"

* * *

Haruka at least had the decency to look thoroughly embarrassed. Not only had she just proclaimed her love for a guy in front of the entire contest hall, but he'd passed out afterward. And then, just to rub salt in the wound, Robert, the same Robert she'd watched win the last Grand Festival, had arrived just in time to watch it all happen. And he'd looked thoroughly amused at the whole situation, if not a bit concerned for the other male's health. But for now, she had more pressing matters to attend to…

"Sis!" Masato exclaimed, his fists bunched at his sides. "What were you thinking? I know you don't like Harley, but that's no reason to try to kill him!"

"Yeah, that _was_ pretty harsh," Takeshi added, a wise look on his face. "Your rival or not, you shouldn't play around with something like love…"

Satoshi just stayed quiet. He wasn't sure why Haruka would say that. Or why Harley would have reacted so negatively. Or why his friends were making such a big deal of it… All in all, it would be amazing if he ever managed to get his _own_ relationship.

"You guys just don't get it," she sighed, her eyes conveying her mixed emotions. "I wasn't lying before. I really _do_ love Harley. I just can't believe he fainted…" She suddenly brightened up. "Do you think maybe he was so happy he couldn't take it?" Takeshi and Masato shared a look, neither wanting to be the bearer of bad news.

"Haruka…" Takeshi wondered how the best way would be to break it to her. "I don't think he was happy... Just shocked. And not in a good way." At Haruka's crestfallen expression, he added, "It's not because of you! It's just that, um…"

"He's gay, and he hates you," Masato said bluntly.

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it…"

Haruka couldn't believe what she was hearing. Harley? _Gay_? Hating _her_? She wouldn't believe it! Sure, they'd had their share of fights, but didn't all budding lovers? As soon as he woke up, they'd talk and he'd tell her that he loved her too. Everything had been a big misunderstanding, she just knew it!

* * *

"Harley, love, you need to lie down. You might hurt—"

"Let me up Robert! I'm going out there and kicking her as—"

Robert knew there was only one way to calm his irate boyfriend down. Thus, before Harley could finish voicing his threat, he felt a warm pair of lips upon his own. Obviously, this placated him immediately. He moaned as Robert's tongue slipped past his lips, gently probing the warm mouth it reached. He franticly began kissing back, remembering all too well that they hadn't done this since the Grand Festival.

Harley drew back enough to begin unbuttoning Robert's coat, still placing hot kisses along his jaw line. The blond reached up and removed Harley's hat, tossing it to the floor. He started tugging at his lover's jacket when he realized something very important.

They were still at the Pokémon Center.

There were small children on the other side of those doors.

And Harley was a screamer.

"Harley," he groaned, pushing the amorous man away before they were _both_ too far gone to stop, "we can't do this here…"

"Why not?" he protested, not about to stop just because of something silly like someone walking in.

"Children, too small, scar for life…" He wasn't speaking in coherent sentences anymore. Harley took this as a good thing and tossed both of their jackets to the floor. "Saw you in Yamabuki…" …But _that_ made Harley stop in his tracks. He pulled away and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Come again?" Robert let out a sigh of relief. He'd had a feeling that would do the trick…

"I watched the Yamabuki contest on television and saw you." He smiled ever so slightly as Harley began to blush. "I must admit, you put up a good fight. That girl seems to have a perpetual case of beginner's luck."

Harley mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "_damn straight_," then motioned for Robert to continue.

"Noctus-chan was magnificent. I was extremely impressed that you taught him such a complicated move." Harley giggled, nodding his agreement. Only the best for his buddy! "But I must admit… Your little song and dance number was my favorite part."

A noise sounding an awful lot like a squeak escaped Harley's throat, his face now looking redder than a cherry tomato. He had _seen_ that? How…utterly embarrassing!

"Don't worry," Robert assured, kissing his lover's cheek, "I personally thought it was adorable. I _am_ quite jealous though… After all, now all of Sekiei knows how flexible you are…" Still flushed, Harley smirked, running a finger up and down Robert's arm.

"Well, they don't know _exactly_ what my flexibility is good for… Care for a demonstration?"

"Nice try," Robert commended, patting Harley's knee and ignoring his pout. "However, I'm not fond of having someone walk in on us while we have sex. …Have you rented a room yet?"

"No…"

"Good, neither have I. So if you feel up to it, how about we go find a nice luxurious room with a bed big enough for that demonstration?" Harley immediately cheered up, jumping to his feet and grabbing their discarded clothing and hurriedly put his own items on, tossing Robert his jacket.

"I'm fine! Now hurry up, we don't have all day!" Not bothering to point out that yes, they _did_ have all day—as well as all night—Robert stood up, made himself presentable, and followed the eager man out the door.

* * *

When the two men left the back room Harley had been put in, Haruka jumped up from her seat and rushed over to them.

"Harley!" she squealed, latching onto his waist for the second time that day. "You're okay!"

He _would_ have said, "_No thanks to you_," had he been able to find words in the first place. As it was, he was having a hard time just keeping his lunch down… Why did it have to be _her_ of all people? Why not someone more like… Shuu! He was cute…

As Harley fantasized about having a threesome with the younger boy to keep his mind off the fact that the person he hated most in the world was attached to his hip, Robert was having a hard time not laughing. It wasn't as if he _enjoyed_ seeing his boyfriend in such stressful conditions, but he couldn't help but feel like maybe, _just maybe_, he deserved a little of it. After all, the girl wasn't nearly as bad as Harley made her out to be. A little _too_ lucky perhaps, but he couldn't exactly fault her for that…

However, she _did_ have a crush on his lover, and he couldn't very well have that…

"Hello Haruka," he spoke up, internally grinning at the sheepish look on her face.

"Oh, hi Robert. I didn't know you and Harley knew each other. Are you two friends?" Robert nodded good-naturedly, secretly planning the quickest way to a hotel.

"Actually, we grew up together. However," he gently pulled Harley away, effectively freeing him, "Harley isn't feeling well, and I'm afraid he needs to lie down. We'll see you tomorrow though. Good day." Haruka nodded sadly, but waved her goodbyes. Once the two men were out of sight, her eyes widened.

"Oh no! I still have to register!"

* * *

It took about ten minutes to find a ritzy looking hotel, all the while Harley was daydreaming. Before they entered, Robert stopped and watched as his boyfriend keep walking until…

"Ow!"

…He walked straight into a pole.

"That's what you get for not paying attention." Harley half-heartily glared at the blond, rubbing his head. "Care to tell me what you're thinking about?"

"Shuu," came the simple answer. Robert blinked, wondering what the boy he'd faced in contests two separate times had to do with anything.

"What about him?" Harley shrugged, obviously not thinking it as a big deal.

"He's cute, and I was thinking about him so I could block out the fact that Kamo-chan was touching me…" Robert raised an eyebrow in a mix of amusement and suspicion.

"Oh really? And why didn't you think about me instead?" Harley smirked, brushing his knuckle against the blond's cheek.

"I wanted something to keep me distracted, not arouse me… There _were_ children present after all…" Robert swallowed thickly; thanking God there was no one around to hear that one…

"…Right. I knew that." Harley smiled sweetly, throwing himself into Robert's arms. The blond held him close, not caring if anyone saw them or not. "Now how about we get that room…"

Robert was being dragged inside before he could even blink. Somehow, he knew it was going to be a _long_ night…

* * *

The day of the contest had arrived, and the coordinators were all getting ready to make their appeals. Robert and Harley sat on a bench, talking about the appeals their pokémon would make. …Well, perhaps a more accurate description would be that Harley was gushing about how wonderful Jupetta-chan would be, and Robert was listening politely.

"Oh, Jupetta-chan has the greatest new move, you'll be _amazed_ by it! We've been working on it for _ages_—"

"Harley!" He groaned, wondering if he'd be disqualified if he had Jupetta-chan use Will-o-Wisp on her…

"What do you want now?" Haruka ran up to the males, smiling brightly.

"I wanted to wish you guys good luck! Zenigame and I'll be cheering for you!" Harley felt his eye tick. Not only did he hate her, but he loathed her damn Zenigame for hurting his dear Ariados-chan…

"Whatever… Come on Robert, we have appeals to make." Without another word to the crush-stricken girl, he stalked off out of the waiting area. Robert offered the girl a sympathetic smile before following him. Haruka blinked in confusion, before following them.

"Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

The appeals went without a hitch. Jupetta-chan's appeal was just as marvelous as Harley had said it would be, and Robert's Milokaross was as magnificent as he always was. Haruka's Zenigame faltered a few times, but her overall performance was still good enough to secure her a spot in the next round. All three coordinators were among the first to perform, leaving them with some free time to spare before the announcement for the next round would be made. Harley, not wanting to have to deal with Haruka and the looks she was sending his way, quickly made an excuse about having to do something important and left his lover and his rival alone.

The blond considered following his lover, but decided that it wasn't the best of ideas. After last night, he really didn't trust being alone with him. The last thing he wanted was to get so preoccupied that they missed the rest of the contest… And with Harley, he found himself much more distracted than normally. Besides, there was something that he was dying to know…

"So, Haruka, what makes you think you love Harley?" The girl looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a large difference between love and mere attraction," the blond explained. "I'd just like to know why you think you love a man who not only has openly expressed his discontent with you, but also has deceived you every time you've met up with him." Haruka shrugged, leaning back on the bench.

"I don't know… I know I shouldn't even like him, but I just can't help it, you know? I look at him and I feel all funny inside… Warm. It's nice… Have you ever been in love with someone like Harley?" Robert couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the innocent question.

"Well, if you mean to ask if I've ever been in love with someone who disliked me, then no. But yes, I've been in love with someone exactly like Harley… I still am in fact." Haruka's eyes shone, finding that concept _very_ romantic.

"Really? What's she like?" Well, there was an interesting question if he'd ever heard one…

"Well, I'd have to say that _he_ is exactly like Harley in every single aspect." Haruka blushed at her mistake.

"I'm sorry! I didn't realize you like guys…" Robert waved his hand, indicating that all was forgiven.

"It's quite all right. I haven't exactly given any indication to my sexual orientation, so there's no way that you could have known. However, I'd be more than willing to tell you about him if you'd care to listen. Harley won't be back until the other appeals are over, which won't be for a while… We have plenty of time if you're interested." She nodded enthusiastically. How exciting! She'd get to learn about Robert's mysterious true love!

"Oh yes, please! I'd love to hear all about him!" Robert smiled, wondering if she'd be able to put all of the pieces together by the time he was done…

"All right then, where to begin… Well, I met him when I was six years old. My family built a mansion in the lot next to his. Of course, there were acres of land between our houses, but we were still neighbors. Our parents arranged for a play date right away. His parent wanted their son to have a friend, since there were only girls living in the area, and even at six he knew he wanted nothing to do with them. My parents, on the other hand, just hoped that if we became friends they'd establish their own friendship with his parents, who had even more money than we did.

"We instantly became the best of friends. It seems that I was the first person other than his parents to think his pokémon were cute. That instantly put me in his good graces. As for myself… Well, I suppose I was initially drawn to his carefree attitude. My parents had always made me act as the perfect gentleman, but he was allowed to be creative, to be himself. I was a bit jealous for a while, but his personality is addicting, and I found myself wanting to see him everyday…

"For the next seven years, my parents put up with him because his family had social status. But in reality, they hated him. We both knew it, though we never talked about it. My parents were suspicious that something was going on between us years before there was. His parents did too actually, but they encouraged it, unlike my own. I think our biggest supporter was their head chef, Mana. She was in her mid-twenties and loved to tease us… She always had a camera close by too. We couldn't do anything without her popping up and taking our picture, cooing about how '_cute the lovebirds are_ _today_'.

"Despite all of the speculation, we didn't actually start dating until we were thirteen. It was my birthday, and my parents were out of town on a business trip. I thought he'd forgotten about me, until he and his pokémon brought over the biggest birthday cake I'd ever seen. He'd made it himself; he's actually a wonderful chef and makes the best cookies I've ever tasted. He's a bit touchy to criticism though… Oh, but I digress. We ended up in my room with the cake when all of a sudden he kissed me. I was pleasantly surprised of course, until he ran off.

"I caught up with him though, and after a few tears and heart-felt words, we became boyfriends. It ended up being a wonderful birthday. We decided that day that we'd become master coordinators one day, and we'd leave to travel together on his thirteenth birthday, which was in a few months. Later that day, after we _enjoyed_ his cake, we went back to his house… His parents noticed right away that we were together of course. They claim they were all knowing, though I think the hickey on my neck might have had something to do with it…

"When my parents returned home, they were none the wiser. We managed, miraculously, to keep our budding relationship a secret. It was a hard three months, quite truthfully. But his parents kept our secret. Mana had a ball with the information of course, and she gave Harley his first camera, telling him to take lots of pictures so she'd always know how we were… Anyway, on the day of his birthday we had a party at his house then packed his bags. We returned to my house to pack and… Well, my parents didn't take the thought of my leaving to travel with someone they hated very well…"

He trailed off, obviously not liking the memory. Haruka placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and smiled sadly. He'd gone this far; he might as well finish the job.

"He ended up taking a hit meant for me. I had to call out my pokémon to keep my father away from him. That's when the accusations started. They both blamed him for turning their perfect son into a monster. He said that they were right about one thing—"

"He's perfect all right. That's why I love him. Now get the hell out of our way, because we're leaving whether you want us to or not!" They storyteller and his audience looked up to see Harley standing before them with a grin on his face. Robert smiled back, not at all surprised that his lover remembered his exact words from over five years ago.

"Yes, so our pokémon kept them away long enough for me to gather what I'd need. Then we left our old life behind and became the master coordinators we are today." Harley scoffed, sitting next to Robert and ignoring the curious look Haruka was giving him.

"No, _you_ are. _I_ haven't won at the Grand Festival yet… I _will_ beat you eventually though." Robert smirked, winking teasingly in a manner Haruka had never seen from him.

"If you say so. Perhaps I should tell Haruka the _last_ thing you promised you'd beat me at…" Harley instantly blushed, clamping his hand over Robert's mouth.

"You won't tell her _anything_. I'm surprised you told her as much as you did… I've been listening the whole time you know." …Haruka could stay quiet no longer.

"Harley, how do you know Robert's boyfriend?"

Now, Harley _could_ have made something up. Or he _could_ have thought of a way to bring her down gently. But he was Harley and she was Haruka. Thus, he smirked and removed his hand from Robert's mouth, instead running it sensually down his lover's chest.

"Why, because I was there of course. _I'm_ his boyfriend."

Needless to say, Haruka looked devastated.

"What, but… You really _are_ gay? But what about _me_?!" Harley was torn between pitying her for being so naïve and wanting to smack her for her stupidity.

"Are you joking? I've been voted '_Most Gay Coordinator_' five years in a row! And what _about_ you? I've already told you; I don't like you! At all! I think you're the most annoying, immature, childish brat that I've ever had the displeasure of meeting! And if I never saw you again, it'd be too soon!" By the end of his mini-rant, Harley felt a lot better. Putting Kamo-chan in her place _always_ made him feel better. However…

Haruka abruptly stood up, tears glistening in her eyes. She quickly ran out of the waiting room, the commotion causing everyone to either watch her go or glare at the man who'd caused her such grief. Harley looked around, utterly confused.

"What?" Robert sighed in annoyance, pushing his lover off his lap and onto the floor. Harley landed with a thump and a yelp, glaring up at the blond. "What was _that_ for?"

"That," Robert said tersely, standing up and glaring back with equal intensity, "was for crushing a little girl's heart. I know you don't like her, but that gives you no right to break her heart in front of so many people. Now, I'm going to find her to make sure she's all right. And if you _ever_ want to," he leaned down and whispered something into Harley's ear, "again, then you'll make it up to her."

Harley watched with shock as Robert took off after Haruka. He didn't really mean that, did he? Never _ever_ again? No… But then again…

'_Shit, I think he really means it… Grr… Stupid Kamo-chan…_' With a humph, he stood up and followed his lover and the bane of his existence. It was turning out to be one of those days…

* * *

Haruka ran down the hall until she collapsed in a fit of tears. What had she ever done to deserve this? She was a good kid; she listened to her parents and tried to be nice to her brother, and she always washed behind her ears! So why did Harley hate her? It was one thing if he was already in love, but to totally _despise_ her… That was just cruel.

"Haruka… I think we need to talk." She sniffed and looked up, seeing Robert staring down at her, looking fully concerned. Robert… She had been going on about Harley in front of his _boyfriend_! She suddenly stopped crying and blushed. How…utterly embarrassing.

"Robert… I'm sorry. I had no idea Harley is your boyfriend…" Robert sat down next to her and sighed.

"I'm sorry too. Perhaps I should have just told you… But mostly, I'm sorry for what Harley said. He's not usually this bad. Sometimes he goes too far without thinking, but I've never seen him act like this before…" Haruka's eyes began to water again.

"Only when he's around me… He really _does_ hate me…" The blond shook his head.

"No, he's just very protective of his pokémon and his cooking abilities. Try to think of things from his point of view. How would you feel if someone called your pokémon, your best friends, scary? Or if they called your baking '_kinda yummy_'? He's had Noctus-chan and Jupetta-chan since he was ten. He may only have caught Ariados-chan a short while ago, but he still loves him. And he's been baking since I first met him. A lot of people made fun of him when we where younger because of his feminine features, so he had to prove he was better at something than everyone else. So now when people insult the things he's best at, he's…irrational."

"So it's all my fault…" Another shake of the head.

"No. He's still the adult, and you're just a child. He should know that you didn't mean anything by it."

"Says who?" Robert looked up and glared at his lover. Harley just crossed his arms and glared back. When it became obvious that they could do this all day, Haruka took it upon herself to say something to break the tension.

"It's okay Robert. You shouldn't be mad at him. I didn't realize I'd hurt his feelings that much… I'm sorry Harley. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything… Your pokémon aren't _that_ scary, and your cookies really were good, honest!" Harley relented his glaring and sighed. Only ten or not, that was no excuse. But… Even if it wasn't the greatest apology in the world, at least it was honest. Besides, just because he couldn't bitch at her anymore didn't mean he had to _like_ her.

"Fine Robert, you win. I'm sorry I yelled at you Kamo-chan. There, I said it. Can we please go now?" Robert laughed lightly and stood up, bringing Harley into a hug. The violet-haired man was outright confused by this, as he'd been _positive_ that the blond would have insisted that a half-hearted '_sorry_' wouldn't cut it.

"You'll never change, will you love? That's all right though. I've loved you this way forever, and I'll never stop." It was hard to tell who was blushing more, Harley for having this said to him with an audience, or Haruka for being a witness to such a sweet scene.

"I love you too Robert, you know that… Can we go back to the waiting room now? The appeals must be just about over by now." Robert nodded and let go of his lover, offering a hand to help Haruka up. She gratefully took it, and the three headed back together.

* * *

The three coordinators did indeed make it to the next round. Ariados-chan, Nendoll, and Wakashamo tore through the competition. It eventually came down to Robert versus Haruka and Harley versus a girl with a Blacky. Ariados-chan won with his type advantage, much to Harley's delight. That meant he'd be fighting either his lover or his rival. Either way, he couldn't wait.

Haruka put up a good fight, she really did. But Wakashamo's double type disadvantage against Nendoll provided to be too much. Robert advanced to the final round, and it was lover versus lover. However, only Haruka was aware of this interesting fact.

And interesting it was! Haruka watched the match from the back room with rapt fascination. Ariados-chan and Nendoll evened out their strengths and weaknesses, making the battle go on right until the end of the five-minute slot. However, in the end Nendoll got in a strong enough final attack to push the match in its favor, making Robert the proud owner of a new ribbon. Haruka couldn't help but notice that Harley didn't seem at all upset, unlike how displeased he got when _she_ beat him. In fact, he readily congratulated the blond, looking as if it was taking all of his will power not to hug him in front of the entire stadium.

But unbeknownst to Haruka, Robert had already made a promise that involved not hiding anymore. They weren't children; if anyone had problems then it was just too bad. After Robert was awarded his ribbon, he turned to the crowd and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have a moment of your time please. I'd just like to congratulate my opponent Harley for a wonderful match…" He walked over to the stunned male and put an arm around his waist. "And for being an excellent boyfriend for the past six years." And then he said no more, because he soundly pressed their lips together.

Haruka found this to be extremely hot. Hotter than anything she could ever remember seeing in her short life. Perhaps she couldn't have Harley for herself, but this was just as good. And it obviously made them both very happy… Well, that was what was important anyway. They'd been together for a long time, and she'd only had her crush for a few months. Besides, she was young and pretty; there'd be plenty of time to find her soul mate in the future.

"Damn, that's hot!" The brunette looked up and saw the blonde girl who'd fought Harley with her Blacky. She nodded, an honest smile gracing her lips.

"Yeah, it is." The older girl—Haruka figured she must be about Harley and Robert's age—looked at her thoughtfully.

"You really love him, don't ya? That guy who was yelling at you earlier. Harley, right?" Haruka nodded, hesitantly. It was obvious that the girl had been in the waiting room with them at the time. But could she really share her woes with a total stranger? "If you wanna talk about it, I'd be more than willing to take such a pretty girl like you out to dinner. We could get ice cream afterwards even—my treat. Sweet things for a sweet girl, you know?"

"I…" She blushed prettily at the obvious flirting. But still… Free food was free food. "Okay. My name is Haruka by the way." The blonde smirked and grabbed the hand that had been offered to her, kissing the back of it rather than shaking it, loving the way the younger girl's blush deepened at the gesture.

"Very nice to meet you Haruka. Name's Abika. Now, let's go find your friends so we can tell them we're ditching 'em." As they walked out of the waiting room hand-in-hand, Haruka couldn't help but smile.

Things were all ready looking up.

* * *

Robert and Harley were back in their hotel room after fighting off a few fans and finding out that Haruka had gone to dinner with an older girl. Robert had been glad to hear she wasn't going to let herself become depressed over the whole matter, and Harley just thought it was ironic.

"Well, they say misery loves company, and she _was_ pretty miserable…" Robert was tempted to reply "_No thanks to you_," but decided against it.

"So they do… But I doubt we have to worry. She has her friends and that girl she left with after all. Between the four of them, I'm sure she can overcome her heartache." Harley nodded, a contemplative look on his face.

"Hey… Know what?" Robert cocked an elegant eyebrow as his lover plopped himself in his lap.

"What?" Harley chuckled as he deftly untied the blond's scarf, a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Here we are, all alone, and we're talking about that little brat… Don't you think we could put our time to better use?" Robert smiled and knocked Harley's hat off with a flick of his wrist.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged…"

And as they proceeded to have a victory-slash-coming out celebration, it became very clear that while misery may love company, bliss loved it even more.


	8. Chefshipping

Choices

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi and het

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: Another one I started forever ago and just finished recently… But this idea plagued me for a long time before I gave in and wrote it. Heck, I supported this couple long before the Battle Frontier episode with the blatant flirting. As you can tell, this fic takes place during the Battle Frontier, after Modama and before the Grand Festival. Anyway, I threw in another couple just to move things along. Please forgive my pathetic attempt at angst in the middle… I'll have more fluff in the future. Also, I should point out that this is _not_ a sequel to the last chapter. Not at all. That one was happy, and the breakup in this one never happens there.

15pairings theme: 2 "You've got two choices."

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 02-02-07

* * *

As Satoshi and his friends traveled, they were overtaken with excitement. It wasn't because of an upcoming battle or contest, nor was it because of a new pokémon sighting. In fact, it didn't have anything to do with pokémon at all! That night there was a summer festival in town that they were planning to attend, and it promised to be the biggest party of the year!

"I can't wait to wear my new kimono!" Haruka squealed, stars in her eyes.

"I hope there are lots of pokémon there!" Masato exclaimed excitedly, desire evident in his voice.

"I bet there'll be tons of food," Satoshi practically drooled. Pikachu nodded, hoping that his trainer was right.

"I just want a girl to dance with…" Takeshi sighed dejectedly. He was largely ignored by his younger companions, though this neither surprised nor offended him. They were young; they didn't have to worry about out-of-control hormones… They just couldn't understand what he was going through, making them very lucky in that respect.

Maybe tonight would be his night… One never knew.

* * *

The night came much too slowly for the younger members of the group, though much too quickly for poor Takeshi. In a desperate attempt not to be alone for the night, he asked almost every girl he saw to go to the festival as his date. Unfortunately, every girl he spoke to was either already taken or just not interested. One girl had even professed her attraction to the same sex. It hurt his delicate psyche to see so many girls and not be able to find even one single one for himself… Though not as much as his ear hurt from Masato's constant tugging…

It wasn't even that he was all that attracted to any of these girls—he simply didn't want to be alone. This wasn't a case of finding a life mate, just a date for one little night! Was that really too much to ask?

"We'll see you later Takeshi!" He put on a happy smile and waved to his friends, all decked out in their kimonos and yukatas, as they took off to enjoy all of the sights, sounds, and food that the festival had to offer.

"Bye guys, have fun!" Haruka and Masato ran off without another word. Satoshi paused, turning back and giving his best friend a sympathetic look. Pikachu, who sat on his head, mirrored his trainer's expression.

"Takeshi… Are you sure you don't want me to keep you company? 'Cause we don't mind—"

"No Satoshi," he quickly cut off the younger boy. "I really appreciate it, but you and Pikachu should go have some fun. I'll be okay by myself… You never know, I might finally find a girl." Satoshi didn't think the odds of that happening were very high, but he smiled and nodded regardless. If Takeshi wouldn't give up, then he'd support him every step of the way.

"All right. I'll see you later then." He left with a quick wave, leaving his older friend alone. Takeshi sighed and looked around, the lack of single females depressing him. There had to be someone, _anyone_, there who would keep him company for the night…

He just had to find her.

Choosing a direction and putting on a charming smile, he set off to scope out the festival's girls. If there was another lonely being out there, then by God, he would find her! The twinkling stars high in the sky shone down upon him that night, he just knew it! By the stars as his witness, he'd have a date before the night was through!

* * *

…Two hours later, he was still alone and no closer to finding a date than he had been that morning.

On the bright side, the night was still young. The festival was bound to go on past midnight, when all of the younger visitors would disappear for the night and leave the adults, or older teenagers in his case, to themselves. He had plenty of time left… And he refused to give in. There was bound to be a pretty girl out there, sad and lonely, looking for a handsome young man like him to sweep her off her feet…

He turned a corner and gasped. He'd been hoping for any old girl, but what he saw… What he saw must be a goddess in disguise. Sitting by the fountain, a tall violet-haired girl dressed in a light green yukata stared off into space, idly dipping her hand in the water. There was no doubt about it—she was bored. She was lonely. She was _perfect_.

And she was going to be his.

He quickly formed a plan, determined to be successful, if only for once in his life. He ran over to a vendor selling flowers and bought a pretty pink rose that would surely match her outfit. After waiting for a moment to make sure that she was in fact alone, he sauntered up to her, sitting beside her and attempting to seem innocent.

"Hello there," he said after a few minutes of silence. "I couldn't help but notice that you looked rather sad… And such an expression only mars your beautiful face. Would you please accept this rose and give me a smile?" Her eyes widened the moment he started talking, as she obviously hadn't even noticed that she had company. She refused to look him in the eyes and shook her head. But tonight, Takeshi was not to be discouraged so quickly.

"Please miss, I saw you from a distance and immediately knew that such a beautiful creature shouldn't be so gloomy. Please, I beg you, let me keep you company tonight. I can't bear to see you so depressed…" She sighed and nodded, but still didn't say anything. Smiling, he placed the rose in her hair, tucked behind her ear. "Thank you. Now, will you look at me? I'd like to see your beauty close up."

"I… I think you'll change your mind once you finally realize who you've been flirting with…" She turned to face him, but the voice he heard was all he needed to recognize the person before him…

"H-Harley!" The coordinator sighed, adjusting the rose in his hair.

"Yeah… Well, you know it's me now, so you can leave if you'd like…" Takeshi had never seen the older male so depressed. Happy? Yes. Cocky? Yes. Pissed as hell? Definitely. But never like this… It just didn't suit him.

"No, I— I still want to keep you company tonight. You… You're very pretty this evening." Harley raised an eyebrow at his nervousness.

"…You _do_ remember that I'm a guy, right? I mean, I know I look rather effeminate, but…"

"I know," Takeshi sighed, not so sure of himself anymore. "When I saw you I thought that you were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen… I was positive that I'd get a date tonight if it killed me. And, well… I still want to. I'm not sure why exactly, but… Please?" Harley smiled slightly and scooted closer to Takeshi, gauging his reaction. Surprisingly, he didn't seem _too_ nervous…

"All right, if you still want to, then I'm okay with it. It's not like I have anything else to do. And besides…" A bit of his normal smirk was back. "You're pretty cute." Takeshi felt himself blush, but he quickly composed himself.

"T-thank you. Would you like to, uh, go get something to eat or something?" Harley nodded and stood up, his height reminding Takeshi that no matter how soft and pretty his features were, he was still most certainly a _he_.

"That sounds great! I saw this quaint little café down by the river…"

* * *

"So why do you dislike Haruka so much?" Harley scowled as he thought of the bane of his existence.

"Kamo-chan is just _so_ inconsiderate… I only know her for two minutes and she manages to insult the two most important things in my life, my pokémon and my cooking. Now I could handle just my cookies, but no one insults my pretty buddies and gets away with it…" Takeshi took a bite of his vegetable tempura and nodded. Perhaps he didn't agree with the actions Harley took, but he did understand his frustration. Haruka should have known better than to touch on such a sensitive subject…

"And she never apologized?" Harley took a sip of his tea, in a very delicate manner Takeshi noted, and then shook his head.

"No, she didn't. In fact, the little twit acts like she doesn't even realize why I hate her…" The breeder couldn't help but chuckle.

"I hate to say it, but she's very well might _not_. She's still young you know." Harley didn't look impressed.

"So what? I'm sure she knew better than that. How'd she like it if someone called one of _her_ pokémon scary?" Takeshi could see that he was beginning to tread on thin ice, so he didn't answer that. Now was a prime time to change the subject…

"Hey, after we're done, how about we go play some games? My treat." Harley smiled sincerely at the offer. This night was definitely getting much better than it had started…

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to." Takeshi returned the smile, and they finished eating in a comfortable silence.

* * *

"So all you have to do is take this paper scoop and try to catch one of the mechanical Koiking. But you have to do it quickly or the paper will dissolve. If you can catch one and scoop it into the baggie, you get a prize. Understand?" Harley nodded and accepted the scoop from Takeshi. Though he'd been to plenty of festivals in his life, he'd never played many games. However, it didn't sound _too_ hard…

He watched the little Koiking replicas swimming around and waited until one got close to the top. Then he made his move and swooped down— Only to have it move at the last minute. He quickly tried again and succeeded in getting it out of the makeshift pond. But much to his surprise, the hunk of metal fell through the soggy paper before he had the chance to get it into his baggie.

"What? That's not fair! Let me try again!" Takeshi laughed and paid the vendor for another scoop. Harley snatched it determinedly and went back to the faux-pokémon. The breeder found it more interesting watching Harley than the game itself. He looked so determined to win. It was…cute. He blushed at the thought, but stood by it. Harley looked like a girl, so of course he'd think that. It didn't mean he _liked_ him though…

"Takeshi! This game is cheating!" He was brought out of his musings as a broken scoop was thrust into his face.

"Do you want to try again?" Harley shook his head, obviously frustrated.

"No, this stupid thing hates me! …Will you win it for me? Please?" It was…strange, to say the least. Harley's pouting face was having the same effect on him that pretty girls normally did. It was as if, at that moment, he'd do anything the pretty coordinator asked him… He figured that he must be getting tired, because he wasn't into guys. Really.

"O-Of course." He paid for another scoop and bent down by the water. It'd been a while since he'd played this game, but losing wasn't an option. If Harley wanted a prize, then he was getting a prize. All it would take was a little concentration and…

"Got it!" Harley watched with amazement as Takeshi scooped out the Koiking and dropped it in the baggie with ease.

"Takeshi, you're incredible!" He didn't respond at first as Harley hugged him in gratitude, as his vocal cords had seized up. He forced himself to calm down. It wasn't a big deal. Not at all. Really!

…He'd eventually believe it too.

"Uh, don't you want to pick out a prize?" Harley finally released him, his eyes sparkling.

"Oh yes! Thank you so much! You're the greatest!" He ran—or perhaps pranced was a better way to put it—over to the prize wall and scanned it thoroughly. Takeshi couldn't help but feel proud for winning for the other male. He looked so happy to win… Even if he didn't _really_ win himself.

"Oh, that's so cute! I want that one!" It wasn't surprising when the vendor handed the coordinator a Jupetta plush doll. It was just a good thing that they didn't have dolls of his other three pokémon, or Takeshi just knew he'd be playing three more times…

"Well… What do you want to do now?" Harley hugged the doll close and hooked his free arm with Takeshi's. Needless to say, the breeder's face tinted a nice shade of pink at the gesture.

"Oh, I have an idea! Come on!" And they were off.

* * *

"So… You really like this stuff, huh?" Harley stuffed another large tuft of pink cotton candy in his mouth and let out a soft moan as it dissolved on his tongue. This, of course, left Takeshi more than a bit flustered. Soon the colored sugar had completely dissolved, and the joyous coordinator turned to him with a smile.

"I love it! It's puffy pure sugar. What's not to love?" Takeshi was tempted to answer, '_Losing all your teeth_,' but figured that would ruin the moment.

"Eh, I was just never a big fan of it myself. But that's more for you, right?" Harley gave him a thoughtful look as he ate more cotton candy. He was very breathtaking at that moment Takeshi decided, male or not. Long violet hair adorned with a lovely pink rose spilling over his delicate green yukata, bright blue eyes sparkling with the excitement of the festival, a Jupetta plushie clutched to his side, the light from an overhead lantern giving his appearance a soft glow… No, breathtaking was simply not a strong enough word. No words could describe how Takeshi felt at that moment.

'_I shouldn't be feeling this way. He's a guy. He's Haruka's rival. Sure, he's not the jerk I thought he was, but still… I only went through with this because I said I would before I knew it was him. I'm not supposed to be this happy being with **Harley** of all people. But he's so beautiful… It should be illegal for a guy to look like that… Maybe it's just because of what he's wearing. Yeah, that must be it. If I saw him on the streets, I'm sure I'd be back to normal. Sure. That's definitely it. I just—_'

His mental musings were cut short when his taste buds were assaulted by an exceedingly sweet flavor. Finally paying attention, he saw that Harley had put the last of the cotton candy on his finger and had shoved it in his mouth. …And his finger was still there.

When Takeshi made no move to eat the sweet fluff or try to remove the finger in his mouth, Harley sighed and explained his actions.

"You totally spaced out on me there. I asked if you wanted to try it, 'cause it's _really_ good, and you started nodding your head. But then you wouldn't _stop_ nodding… So I figured I should snap you out of it. This way lets me kill two Poppo with one stone, you know?" Yes, he did know. He'd started nodding to his own thoughts, and Harley had assumed he was listening. How embarrassing… Especially now that they were standing in the middle of a bunch of food vendors, with Harley's finger _still_ in his mouth… And every second they stood like that, there were more and more teenage girls gathering around and giggling. It was time to end that…

This was technically all his fault, as he'd been the one to get lost in his thoughts. So naturally, accepting Harley's offer was the polite thing to do. Or so he told himself. His hormones insisted that he had a hot guy doing pseudo-sexual things to him, but he tried not to listen to them. He hesitantly lapped at the digit, finding that he rather liked the sweet taste when it was presented like _this_. Eager to taste more, he began to suck, realizing how this would look to outsiders, but not particularly caring at the moment. Harley was a bit surprised for a second, but quickly smirked. It really wasn't _that_ surprising. Harley'd had a feeling that he was repressed ever since he first saw him on the ship to Izabé Island, and he'd never been wrong before. Why start now?

As soon as Harley's finger was clean of all traces of sugar, Takeshi relented and allowed the digit to be slipped out. It suddenly dawned on him that the aforementioned girls were whispering scandalous things about what their relationship must be… Though oddly enough, to him at least, he wasn't overly worried about what they thought. And judging by the lusty glint in Harley's eyes, he wasn't either.

"Harley, I—" He was cut off by a loud chiming, signaling that the big event of the night, the festival dance, was about to begin.

"We can talk there," the coordinator said tossing the empty cotton candy container into a nearby bin and slipping his free hand into Takeshi's. "And we do have a _lot_ to talk about…"

Takeshi nodded, and they walked hand-in-hand, much to the delight of the squealing girls, off to the main square.

* * *

Takeshi was very glad that Harley had agreed to let him lead, because he was sure that it wasn't easy to dance backwards like that. They'd actually started off with Harley leading, since he _was_ taller, but Takeshi had almost broken his neck. And when questioned how in the world he could manage to do that backwards, Harley's answer was a flirty wink and the quip, "You should try it in heels."

Takeshi made a mental note to ask about that one later.

Once everyone had gotten settled in their dancing, Takeshi and Harley drifted to the edge of the square so they could talk in relative peace. Takeshi wondered where they should start… That little cotton candy escapade earlier was probably a good place to begin… But what to say? Luckily for the bewildered teen, Harley spoke first.

"Before we say anything else, I think you should know why I'm here in the first place." Takeshi nodded. He remembered how sad the other male looked at the beginning of the night… Whatever he was going to hear, he had a feeling it was going to be important.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. Or if you really don't want to, you don't have to." Harley sighed and thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, you need to know. You see… I'd already been sitting at the fountain for over an hour before you found me. I came to the festival with someone, but… But he dumped me." Takeshi couldn't believe it. He'd been with a guy all night who had just been dumped. With as happy as he'd been all evening, it didn't make much sense…

"Can I ask who he was? You don't have to—"

"Robert," Harley cut him off, needing to say it right then before he hanged his mind.

"The guy who won the Houen Grand Festival last year?" Harley nodded. "…How long were you two together?" The coordinator chuckled painfully.

"Oh, not _that_ long… Just the past six years." Now Takeshi _really_ was confused. Harley wasn't much older than he was. To have dated Robert for six years… He would have had to been a young teenager at the time the relationship started. So why wasn't he completely devastated? His confusion showed clearly on his face, so Harley decided to clarify.

"We've been friends forever… I'm actually okay with not dating him anymore. We both knew it was coming to an end anyways. It's just _who_ he dumped me for that hurts…" His eyes darkened and he growled, startling Takeshi, who stumbled in his dance steps. "Dammit Kamo-chan, isn't beating me so many times enough for you? Did you really have to steal my boyfriend too?"

Well, that was surprising, to say the very least.

"Wait, you mean he left you for Haruka? She's only eleven…" Harley nodded.

"Tell me about it. He said something about eight years seeming like a lot now, but not being a big deal when they got older. I don't care if he wants to date someone that much younger than he is, or even a girl! But it's Kamo-chan! He _knows_ I hate her. And he still flaunted how he's fallen for her and just wants us to be friends right before dumping me. I finally beat her in a contest, and then she gets my boyfriend… It's just not fair…" Takeshi didn't really know what to say. He was happy for Haruka, but upset at the same time that her happiness was coming at Harley's expense. What could he possibly say to make him feel better, without seeming as if he was trying to pick him up on the rebound?

"Harley… I'm really sorry. But maybe you're better off without him. Maybe you just need to try someone new." Harley giggled and pressed himself closer to Takeshi as they danced, delighted as the younger man's cheeks flushed.

"Don't you remember me saying how we both knew it was going to end soon anyways? It was painfully obvious that we were both interested in other people. We just didn't know who. Well, he liked Kamo-chan, and I'm sure he's found her by now and has pledged his eternal love and devotion. If he wants a bratty twit, then good for him. As for who I was falling for…" He brought a hand up and cupped the side of Takeshi's face gently. "I'm dancing with him."

This, quite needless to say, threw him for a loop. It was one thing to say he was starting to like him after the great night they'd shared, but to say that he'd liked him even when he was still dating Robert? _That_ was totally unexpected.

"Since when?!" Harley giggled again at his flaming blush. Takeshi was just _too_ cute.

"Yamabuki. Remember how close I was getting with Joi? I wasn't sure why I was doing it at first to tell you the truth. But when I saw you drooling over Lillian, it hit me. I was trying to make _you_ jealous. So in Modama Town when I saw all those girls flocking around you… Oh, it made me so upset! If I wouldn't have had to bug Kamo-chan, I would've…" He left the threat alone and smiled. "You know… You never did let me hold Usohachi like you said I could." Takeshi didn't bother telling him that he'd only agreed to that at the time because he thought Harley was another pretty girl, because it just didn't seem important. Right now, an entire flock of gorgeous women couldn't tear his attention away.

"Well… After the festival ends, let's go somewhere and I'll let you hold it all you want." Harley giggled at the suggestion.

"Why Takeshi, what connotations! Offering to let me hold your rock pokémon. Moving awfully fast, aren't you?" Takeshi smiled at the coordinator's teasing. Two could play that game…

"Maybe… But it isn't everyday I have an attractive guy in my arms who's willing to hold my rock pokémon. Perhaps you'd like to stroke it too?" Harley felt his breathing getting shallow. Takeshi didn't know what he was doing to him… Or if he did, he wasn't concerned. Suddenly, Harley wished they were in a secluded hotel room, away from all of the festivalgoers. But just because they couldn't do those things didn't mean there weren't other options…

Harley pressed his lips to Takeshi's lightly, hoping to any listening deities that he hadn't been reading the signals wrong. Luckily for him, Takeshi immediately started kissing back, not hesitating to deepen the kiss. They stopped dancing, luckily being away from the other couples, kissing each other like it was going out of style. Takeshi obediently opened his mouth when Harley's tongue lapped at his lips, not caring one single bit that they had an audience. Yes, many of the other couples had stopped to watch the overzealous couple, the handsome men—or was the purple-haired one a girl?—creating quite the appealing site. The disruption even caught the attention of a few people who had been walking by looking for their friends…

"Takeshi!" Said male temporarily froze at the sound of his voice being called. He knew that voice… When it finally clicked, he tore his mouth away from Harley and stared nervously at his traveling companions and Harley's ex-boyfriend.

"Oh, hey guys. Fancy meeting you here…" To their credit, not all of them looked upset. Robert was smiling, obviously pleased that his best friend had gotten who he wanted. Satoshi looked confused, but not disgusted. But all things love-related confused him anyways, so that wasn't a big surprise. The siblings weren't so accepting though. Masato looked as if he was gazing at a particularly appalling bug pokémon, and Haruka sported a glare and a sneer that looked rather out of place on her pretty face. Whether their reactions were because he was with a man or because he was with _Harley_, he wasn't sure, though he was sure he'd find out soon.

"What are you doing with _him_? Takeshi, he's practically my enemy!" Harley opened his mouth to tell her that it shouldn't matter—she had no say in who Takeshi dated after all—but Masato chimed in.

"Yeah! How could you do that to her? Isn't she your friend?" …His friend. That was true, Haruka had been his friend far longer than his attraction to Harley had existed… Could he really date a man who hated her? But could he really deny his attraction to Harley just because he and Haruka disliked each other?

"Takeshi… Don't let them say those things…" Haruka snorted at Harley's soft words.

"Don't listen to him Takeshi! You know how he is—this is probably just another trick to get to me!" …He hadn't thought of _that_.

"That's true… Harley, how do I know you aren't just using me to get to her?" Harley's eyes widened at the accusation—he couldn't believe his ears.

"How could you say that? She's just being petty and—" Takeshi stepped away quickly and shook his head vehemently.

"No… Harley, we can't do this. I… I've gotta go…" Harley watched him flee, his eyes filling up with tears.

"Takeshi…" Robert frowned, hating to see his best friend in such a state.

"Oh Harley, I'm so sor—" He turned to the blond, fire in his eyes and a sneer on his lips.

"Save it. I didn't see _you_ standing up to your little girlfriend." Robert opened his mouth to reply, but Harley was faster. "And you, you little brat, how dare you! I love Takeshi and you have nothing to do with it! And now, thanks to you, I've lost him! Next time, just mind your own damn business and leave me the hell alone!" With that, he turned on his heels and ran off in the opposite direction Takeshi had left in. The remaining people all had various degrees of disbelief on their faces.

"Robert… Is that true? Does… Does Harley really love him?" He sighed and squeezed her hand, nodding his head.

"Yes, very much. I tried to tell you…" She looked absolutely devastated… He just couldn't be mad at her. After all, her claims weren't unfounded… She was just wrong this time. "Right now, you have two choices. You can either let them go their separate ways, or you can listen to my idea and get them back together. Shall we go with the latter option?" She nodded and listened carefully to his plan. She might not like Harley, but Takeshi was her friend. And if he could finally find love… She'd do her best to make things right.

* * *

Harley left the Contest Hall with an air of melancholy surrounding him. For almost a month, he'd been moping around, only able to continue his quest for ribbons because he couldn't let his lovely pokémon down. He knew he shouldn't be so depressed—after all, he hadn't expected Takeshi to return his affections in the first place. But after finding happiness that night, only to have it ripped away from him so suddenly…

He'd kill that little brat, he swore it.

As he brooded and planned Haruka's bloody, gruesome death for ruining his life yet again, he failed to notice the footsteps behind him until…

"Harley?" The voice made his mind and body freeze. No, it couldn't be… He was imagining things, he had to be… But as he slowly turned around and saw the object of his affection and his turmoil, he knew it was real.

"Takeshi…" The tanned teenager looked uncomfortable just standing there, and part of Harley was glad. Sweet revenge for running off on him and breaking his heart… But another part, a bigger part, just wanted to win him back.

"Um, hey… Haruka's in the contest tomorrow and I was just out for a walk…" Haruka? In _this_ contest? But she'd already been in this one—he knew because Robert had watched it on television and ranted about how excellent her win was. She couldn't compete again… Robert, that was it. He'd known Harley was coming here. Had he told Haruka? Had the brat decided that maybe she done something insanely stupid after all? "…It's odd though, because she's already won this ribbon earlier this year. I didn't know they gave out more than one ribbon."

"They don't," Harley informed him, all the pieces coming together. "She can't compete here again until next year." Takeshi looked perplexed at that, but only for a moment. Understanding came quickly, leaving him wondering what his friend was thinking.

"I did think it was odd that she insisted we backtrack so far… And it was only after she talked to Robert that night at the…the carnival." The look on Takeshi's face… It was interesting, it was perplexing... It was worth looking into.

"Well, maybe Robert gave her some sound advice. You know, like how _your_ love life has nothing to do with _her_?" Takeshi sighed and nervously scratched the back of his head. Harley waited patiently as he sorted out his words.

"You know… I've been thinking a lot about that night. It was wrong of me to act that way. I was a complete jerk…" Harley would have agreed, but he knew he wasn't the most pleasant person at times either, so he kept his mouth shut. "I've also been thinking about how great the night was before that and how much fun I was having… I really felt like we had a connection, and…"

"And?" The coordinator prompted when he trailed off. Takeshi slowly walked over until they were within touching distance… Then he threw his arms around Harley's waist, bringing him close.

"And I would have taken your offer that night if Haruka hadn't come along. I really like you Harley, and even if it confuses me, I don't want to lose this feeling…" Harley smiled and looped his arms around Takeshi's shoulders, mentally cheering in victory.

"Does this mean you want to go out again? Cause I warn you that I refuse to hide any relationship we may have…" He laughed softly and nodded, causing Harley's smile to widen considerably.

"Yeah, I do. And after all the brooding I've done the past few weeks, I don't plan on letting anyone else change my mind. I want to be with you… Even if you aren't quite what I'd always imagined." Harley's smile transformed into a smirk as he leaned in closer until their noses were almost touching.

"Change is good you know… Now, allow me to show you why I'm _much_ better than any girl you could ever meet." And as he captured the breeder's lips in a passionate kiss, Takeshi had to admit that yes, change was good… And if Harley could kiss like _that_, he didn't need girls anyway.

* * *

"You know… They are pretty cute together." Robert nodded, glad that his girlfriend saw the light.

"Indeed they are. I'm glad Harley can finally be happy after our break up." Haruka had to admit that she found it a bit strange that Robert had dated her rival almost as long as she'd been alive, but she hardly minded. He was hers now after all.

"And I'm glad Takeshi won't keep hitting on every girl he sees…" Robert chuckled softy and laced their fingers together, earning himself a smile and a pretty blush for his effort.

"Now, shall we go? I need to get ready for the contest tomorrow if I plan on beating Harley." She nodded happily and they went off to find somewhere for some last minute training. She was glad she helped get Harley and Takeshi together… After all, if they were nearly as happy together as she was with Robert, it was all worth it.


	9. Connectshipping

Separation Anxiety

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: Ah, Connectshipping. This, my friends, is my OTP of the entire collective Pokémon fandom. I was weary to write this because in my own personal head canon I have an entire series of ideas that could be written about Reiji (English name Reggie) and Saturn traveling together in their younger years. I might, in fact, write that one day. For now, I wrote _this_, and hopefully you can enjoy it with the information I set forth. Their shared past and the name I gave Saturn are not canon, just so we're clear. The anime hasn't progressed far enough to know if this can fit in canon either, so only time will tell there. …Oh, and I'm _really_ sorry it took me so long to continue with this series. I'll try to continue it in a more timely fashion.

15pairings theme: 03 separation anxiety

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 08-10-09

* * *

The lights flickered in the tiny room; the dull yellow light was already hard enough to work in, but _this_… Saturn sighed, knowing that unless he fixed it himself, it would never get done. However, if he stopped to take a break to fix the lights, he'd never get his work done by the deadline. Either way, the night would not be a pleasant one, but in the end he supposed straining his eyes was preferable to the punishment he'd receive from his boss if the analysis of Mount Tengan wasn't finished on time.

The work was some of the most dull and monotonous drivel he'd ever had the misfortune of working on during all his time with Ginga Dan, but he was the only one capable enough to handle it. Well, Akagi himself could have done it, but such work was beneath him. Therefore, it was up to Saturn, and that meant hours upon hours of tedious busywork until he felt ready to explode.

…Not that he hadn't been feeling that way lately anyway.

When one broke company regulation by not separating from their lover, it could be a curse and a blessing to have them so close. As much as the lieutenant executive was a stickler for the rules, one thing he'd never been able to do was dump his boyfriend. They'd met as children, started dating as young teens, and now as young adults, there was nothing more that Saturn wanted than to accomplish Akagi's dream so he could live in the perfect world with his beloved… Alas, Reiji didn't seem to appreciate that last bit.

Though they never did agree on Ginga Dan, both were more than willing to deal with it in order to stay together. It didn't mean they didn't argue about it, but neither would end what they'd had for a decade over it. The nice part was that Ginga Dan headquarters was located in Tobari City, the very place Reiji ran his breeding center. It wasn't hard at all for Saturn to slip out when his duties were done and sneak out to see Reiji.

The problem, however, was the fact that Saturn wasn't in Tobari City at the moment, and hadn't been for a few weeks now. Their plans were coming ever closer to fruition, and that meant staying on the move to remain unseen. Even calling was out of the question; it was far too dangerous to risk a call being traced and their location being found…or Saturn's insubordination being revealed.

Saturn sighed as his fingers flew over the computer's keys; he didn't fully understand his boss, and he doubted he ever would. As much as Akagi's ideals appealed to him, Saturn could never find emotions to be worthless. How could that insanely happy feeling he got in his chest when Reiji smiled at him be worthless? How could all those fond memories he had of them growing up together mean nothing? Or how about all those nights they spent together, breathless and sweaty and—

He quickly pushed those thoughts aside. He needed to work, not fantasize.

It was hard though, he wouldn't deny it. Even with sneaking out, he never saw Reiji as much as he would have liked. Now, so far away, he was wound up so tight he didn't know what to do. While there were no doubt plenty of grunts ready and willing to sleep with him in hopes of furthering their careers, it simply wasn't an option. It was Reiji, or it was no one.

'_Everything will be fine_,' he thought, somehow clinging to the hope that if he kept telling himself that, it would magically become true. '_It won't be long now. Just a few more weeks and this will all be over with. Reiji and I will never have to be apart again…_'

He just wished his last memories of them together didn't involve Reiji yet again begging him to leave Ginga Dan behind and come back home.

* * *

Those few weeks came and went, but Akagi's plans didn't come to fruition. That boy—Satoshi he believed his name was—and his friends had stopped them yet again. It was frustrating, but it did mean one thing…they were back in Tobari City to regroup. If nothing else, Saturn could find no fault with that plan. However, there _was_ one little problem…

"Executive Saturn, Master Akagi wants you to…" He knew that tuning out the grunt in front of him wasn't the smartest of ideas, but he just couldn't help himself. While he hadn't been foolish enough to believe he'd have no work upon arriving, he'd at least assumed he'd be able to go five minutes without someone thwarting his escape plans.

"Yes, I understand," he interrupted curtly, snatching the papers from the girl before him. "I'll see to it this is completed posthaste." He turned on his heel and briskly walked off, ignoring her bewildered expression. Of all the executives, he was known to be the nicest to the grunts. He'd feel guilty about it later though; he was far too anxious to get away right then.

It was a short walk back to his office, and once there he promptly locked the door behind him and threw the papers on his desk. He'd get to them soon enough. Right then, if he couldn't get out, he had a call to make.

The video phones at the base were luckily safe to use, and the number was second nature to Saturn. Soon the phone was dialing, and with what could only have been a few rings on the other end, a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Hello Reiji."

The breeder's face went through a spectrum of emotions before Saturn's eyes. Surprise, relief, irritation, happiness… And he knew the reasons for all of them.

"Where in the world have you been? I've been worried about you! You having called in weeks, and—" As amusing as Saturn found his lover's worrying to be, now really wasn't the time. He knew where it would go, and he wasn't up for the same argument again.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I was called away for work, and it was too risky to call. I missed you, you know. I couldn't stop thinking about you…" Reiji's expression softened, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I've missed you too. Where are you now? When will you be back in town? I want to see you face to face, and I don't have a lot of work right now." He knew he should lie, say he was on the other side of the region, but he didn't even think before he answered…

"I _am_ back in town. We arrived yesterday. There's been so much work to do though, and I haven't had a moment's peace to slip away without them noticing. I don't know how long we'll be here, but I'll keep trying." It wasn't until Reiji's expression darkened again that he realized he'd said the wrong thing. _Again_.

"Of course, Ginga Dan always comes before me. I should have known." Saturn sighed, wondering why it always seemed to come to this lately.

"Don't be ridiculous. I've told you time and again why I'm doing this. It won't be long now, I promise." The upset expression only seemed to darken, despite Saturn's best intentions.

"So you keep saying, and I keep telling you I'd rather have you around then…whatever crazy scheme your boss has in mind. You _know_ I can't condone what Ginga Dan is doing, Sa—"

"Saturn," said man interrupted Reiji for the second time, now looking as upset as his partner did. "My name is _Saturn_."

"I didn't say otherwise."

"But you were going to."

It was Reiji's turn to sigh, rubbing his forehead wearily. A pokémon—it sounded like an Eleboo to Saturn, probably Shinji's—cried somewhere off screen. Reiji said a few soothing words to it before facing the video phone again, a poignant look in his eyes.

"I didn't fall in love with Saturn." Saturn didn't respond; he clenched his fists, which shook despite himself. "Saturn didn't even _exist_ until you met that insane man and got promoted. What happened to that boy I traveled around the world with? The one who wanted to be a scientist? The one who I had my first kiss with? The one…the one that would have put me before his work no matter what?"

There was silence for a few moments as they simply looked at each other. Reiji had never said that before…and Saturn didn't even _begin_ to know how to respond.

"…I don't know," he finally answered, the hurt tone making Reiji flinch. "I guess he died."

Saturn ended the call before any more could be said, his hands shaking so badly now that he could barely push the button. Was that really how Reiji felt? That he wasn't the same person? All right, so maybe he was at work a lot, and maybe he didn't go by his birth name anymore, but so what? Reiji used to be a trainer. He used to have a temper to rival his brother's. They'd both changed, but never once had Saturn thought the boy he fell in love with and the man he loved now were different. How did he have the gall to say such things?

'_Maybe because only one of you changed for the better…_' The little part of his conscience, the same one that told him joining Ginga Dan was a bad idea, was promptly ignored. How absurd. What could he have accomplished as a scientist living in Tobari City with Reiji? He'd be able to do great things when Akagi was in charge, and Reiji would always be at his side. Why couldn't he just understand?

Hands still shaking, he sat down at his desk and did his best to look through the papers, if only to keep his mind off Reiji. He didn't know that at that moment across town, his lover was looking at a picture of them from their childhood and wondering what went wrong… It was probably for the best that he didn't.

* * *

It was a month after their last fight, and Reiji didn't know where his boyfriend was. Not _really_. He knew from Shinji that Satoshi and his friends had a big showdown with Ginga Dan, but the details were sketchy at best. He supposed that in Shinji's own strange way, letting him know of Ginga Dan's defeat at Mount Tengan was his little brother's way of gently saying certain members, like executives, might not be alive anymore. While he appreciated the odd show of subtly, Reiji refused to believe anything like that could have happened. There was no way the last words his lover had said to him were going to come true.

Work was slow again, so the knock on his door was a welcome distraction. Who he saw on his doorstep…well, he was even more welcome.

"You're all right!" The very object of his thoughts was now firmly in his arms, though it took a few moments before he returned the embrace.

"Yes…I suppose I am." Reiji let him go and took a step back after he assured himself he wasn't dreaming any of this, getting a good look at his lover. He was in normal clothes, much like what he wore before joining Ginga Dan. His hair wasn't styled—another thing he'd started doing after being promoted—either; the blue locks hung down to his shoulders. Reiji remembered the complaints that he couldn't keep it looking so feminine if he wanted to be taken seriously, though the breeder thought it looked much better this way. '_Now it looks like a Bunyatto_!' he remembered countering in protest. No, overall, this didn't look like Saturn; it looked like… "Ginga Dan is no more."

"I figured after what Shinji told me. I'm just glad you're safe." The now ex-executive nodded, a downhearted look on his eyes.

"Akagi… You were right about him you know. He really _was_ insane. _Everything_ would have been gone if he'd won. I…I'm such an _idiot_." Reiji shook his head, not liking his normally confident lover saying such things about himself.

"No, Saturn you're not—"

"Saphir." Reiji paused…then he smiled.

"Saphir, you're not an idiot. You just went down the wrong path. It's going to be okay though…you're home."

Saphir smiled too, and without another word they went inside. He'd been wrong; he admitted that. But if Reiji was willing to forgive him… Well, he certainly wasn't going to let down the love of his life again.

* * *

Later that night, after Saphir had been thoroughly worn out and was sleeping soundly in their bed, Reiji couldn't help but stay awake and watch him for a while. How long had it been since they'd been like this? Far too long for his liking. It didn't seem like he'd have to worry any longer though. They'd already decided they would be living there together from that point on, and the now unemployed man would continue his prior research while helping out at the breeding center. Things were finally going back to normal…

"You were wrong," Reiji murmured, brushing a few loose strands of hair behind his lover's ear. "Saphir never died…he just went away for a while."

Things could never be the way they were in their childhood, but Reiji and Saphir would make an even brighter future together.


	10. Comashipping

Shut Up and Listen

by taitofan

Rated PG-13 for yaoi

Disclaimer: I don't own Pocket Monsters. This saddens me, but it's a fact I've learned to live with.

Author's notes: Unlike every other fic in this project, this is actually connected to a previous chapter. This one takes place a few months after Separation Anxiety. If you skipped that chapter for whatever reason, you can probably read this just fine, though you might be confused by who exactly Saphir is and why he's living with Reiji. Mmm, this was my first time writing for Shinji (Paul in the dub; I think you all should know that Satoshi is Ash, but I'll mention that here anyway), and I tried my best to keep him as in character as he could be in this situation. If you have an opinion on how I did, I'd love to hear it. I might be writing for him again in the future…

15pairings theme: 05 "Shut up and listen"

Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 08-10-09

* * *

Some people might say that there was nothing in the world Shinji liked, but they would be lying. There were plenty of things he liked; he just wasn't as idiotic as the majority of the population to act all loud and obnoxious about them. He didn't even usually try to keep them a secret…he simply wasn't going to go out of his way to correct people he didn't care about. For example, he liked winning battles, despite his apparent nonchalance after a battle, win or lose. He also liked a few of his pokémon, namely the ones that had been with him long enough and proved their worth time and again, so he knew he'd never have a reason to replace them. He liked his brother, and even his brother's boyfriend, though he thought they were sentimental fools who spent more time trying to lick each other's tonsils than doing anything remotely productive.

However, perhaps most of all, there was a certain person he was…rather fond of, he supposed. He would, of course, rather hurl himself off Mount Tengan than admit to it, but the annoying fact remained that he did indeed feel that way. It was irritating to no end, and try as he might, the feeling only got stronger. Now he'd finally heard news that the certain someone was doing something that _should_ have made him happy…

But he _wasn't_. It only made him feel these strange, unpleasant things that he didn't appreciate in the least. He didn't know what to do, and as much as it pained him to admit it…he needed advice. And as much of a sentimental fool as he was, Reiji was the only one he could trust to tell him what he wanted to know.

Though he'd convinced himself on the way to Tobari City's breeding center that this was the best course of action, when his brother answered the door and knowingly ushered him inside, he couldn't help but think he was making a horrible mistake.

* * *

Shinji and Reiji sat in the living room, the only sounds being the cries of pokémon playing outside in the yard and random noises coming from the kitchen. Soon Saphir came in with three cups—two with tea for himself and Reiji, and one with coffee for Shinji. Reiji smiled warmly at his lover as he accepted the cup, while Shinji muttered a small thanks. He didn't know if he'd ever forgive the man for what he'd done while with Ginga Dan, but if his brother forgave him, it wasn't his business to hold a grudge. Despite what his rival might think, he wasn't a complete cold-hearted bastard who hated every last human and pokémon in the world. He'd never been warm and loving, but he certainly knew how to be polite if the person warranted his respect. Through all his transgressions, Saphir was a brilliant researcher, and if nothing else, that could get him a _thanks_ out of Shinji.

Part of him, the part that rarely got to see the light of day, thought that maybe the fact that the man had kept his brother happy for so long had something to do with it too. They'd met at ten while getting their starter pokémon, the same year Shinji was born. By the time they were the same age he was now, fourteen, they had started dating. Now, ten years later, they managed to stay together. He knew Saphir had caused Reiji to lose countless nights of sleep while he'd been an executive in Ginga Dan, but his brother had never stopped loving him. As soon as the fanatical group had disbanded, Reiji had him move in, and Shinji had no doubts that the three months they'd been living together could be summed up in two words: domestic bliss.

If that was what they wanted, fine. It was their life. Shinji couldn't imagine staying in one place permanently like they were though. As a child, he'd imagined the two would forever travel the world…that was before Reiji gave up being a trainer though. Plans changed, people changed… He didn't think he'd ever have a change like that though. It was far too out of character for him to even imagine himself in their position. Besides, he couldn't see that certain someone ever settling down either. Speaking of which…

"So, little brother, this is about _him_, isn't it?" Shinji calmly took a sip of the coffee, determined to keep a cool head during the visit.

"I don't know who you're talking about." Okay, so being difficult was counterproductive to receiving the advice he sought, but he'd be damned if he was just going to admit to such ridiculously sappy emotions.

Reiji, who was used to dealing with his stubborn brother, chuckled good-naturedly, knowing he was right. Seeing his boyfriend's confused look, he cocked his head to the side and grinned. Saphir's eyes widened in understanding. …Shinji would never know how they could understand each other when they did that, and he doubted he really wanted to.

"You could do worse I suppose," the younger of the two men admitted, tucking some of his hair—which Shinji was relieved to see no longer looked like he was trying to cosplay as a Bunyatto and instead simply fell down to his shoulders—behind his ear. "I can't say I didn't find him over excitable, but… If it weren't for him stopping Akagi, I wouldn't be here now."

Shinji barely resisted to overwhelming urge to gag as Reiji gaze practically radiated affection for his boyfriend's words. As it was, once he captured Saphir's hand in his own and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, Shinji couldn't stop a snort of annoyance from escaping.

"Oh Shinji, don't be that way." Reiji didn't sound in the least bit upset; he was probably amused that such a small act could get under his brother's skin. "Now, back you your problem. I guess you heard that he's headed to Jouto."

"Of course I did. He more or less came out and said he wanted me to follow him." Reiji looked rather perplexed at that admission.

"Really? Then what's the problem? He wants you to follow him, you _want_ to follow him…" Had Shinji been the type to blush, he probably would have at that point. He wasn't though, and he only sign that he was uncomfortable talking about all of this was that he was gripping the coffee mug tighter than was necessary.

"It's those idiots who follow him around… How do you know all this anyway?" Reiji smirked openly at the question, looking far more like the cocky pokémon trainer he used to be than the laid-back breeder he was those days. Some things never changed it seemed…

"Why, little brother, is that _jealousy_ I detect?" Shinji didn't bother to dignify that with a response. "He does call me sometimes you know. Half the time I think he's hoping _you'll_ be here… It was pretty funny when he called this last time and Saphir answered." Shinji could only imagine the other boy's face, seeing Saphir answer his brother's phone…he wished he could have seen it. It was likely amusing as hell.

"_I_ didn't think it was funny," Saphir muttered, glaring into his teacup. "He threatened to call Officer Junsa to arrest me…"

"I'm surprised he even recognized you with your hair looking normal for once," Reiji teased, earning himself the glare that had been on the teacup. A grin on his face, he turned back to his brother. "Anyway, I wouldn't worry about his friends. It's not an odd occurrence for rivals to follow each other, and they'll probably just think you want revenge for him beating you during the Pokémon League."

There were now _two_ glares fixed on Reiji. Shinji didn't like being reminded of _any_ loss, let alone _that_ one. But he supposed it was true enough… If the idiots even ended up going to Jouto too. The Shinou League had been over a month ago, but the Grand Festival and Battle Frontier had kept them in Shinou. It wouldn't be long until he left, maybe with his companions, maybe alone…

"Satoshi…" When the sound of his brother's laugh met his ears, Shinji felt more mortified than he had…well, _ever_. Did he really just say that aloud? Considering even Saphir was snickering, he assumed he had. Just great… That idiot was making him do foolish things left and right… "I'm leaving."

"Oh come on, don't be so sensitive!" Just as he'd known, Shinji refused to budge after _that_. "Listen for a second, okay? I know romance isn't your forte and never will be. So whatever you do, just do what feels natural."

Reiji didn't need to tell him that; as if he would _ever_ be a sap like they were. Besides, Satoshi was a complete moron when it came to such things, that much he knew. A traditional romantic gesture would just go over his head. How then…?

"Natural, huh. Guess that doesn't sound _too_ stupid…"

* * *

It had been a week since Shinji had visited his brother and Saphir, and now he just needed to find that pathetic rival of his and…well, he wasn't exactly sure. As much as he'd tried, he still hadn't found the best way to go about doing what he needed to do. He'd treated the situation much like he would an important gym battle, but Satoshi was far more unpredictable than any battle. It was so easy to get under his skin and turn that happy-go-lucky mood he usually had into a seething rage. It was…fun. He had come to look forward to plaguing the other boy—he got to see that fiery passion of his, plus call him an idiot all at the same time. It was a win-win situation as far as he was concerned.

Where to find him though…

"Hey Pikachu, wait up buddy! Where are ya runnin' off to?" Well, that was certainly convenient timing. "If you don't slow down, Takeshi and Hikari will never—oh! Shinji!" Just as he thought the idiot would run right past him, Satoshi came to a grinding halt, a grin on his face as he waved pleasantly. No matter how much they yelled every time they saw each other, he was also so optimistic when they met again…

"Hnn, I'm surprised you're capable to going three feet without your loser friends at your heels." Satoshi's face flushed with oncoming rage, but he balled his hands into fists and forced his smile to stay where it was.

"Would it kill you to just say hi for once?" Shinji shrugged, allowing a small smirk to grace his face. Well, Reiji had said just to act naturally…

"Perhaps." Satoshi sighed deeply, the anger suddenly draining from him. It was so much work just to _talk_ to Shinji…

"So… I, uh… I talked to your brother a little while ago. He said you'd be heading this way." Shinji didn't respond, as he wasn't surprised Reiji had told Satoshi where he'd be. Besides, it had made his search that much easier. "Is…is there some reason Saturn is there? It's kinda weird seeing him answer the phone…"

"Saphir," Shinji corrected, earning a blank stare from his rival. "That's his real name. You didn't really think all of the Ginga Dan executives were named after planets, did you? Wait, that's a dumb question—of course you did. Though it's not your business, they've been dating almost as long as we've been alive."

Satoshi wasn't sure if he should be angry at Shinji calling him dumb yet again, or if he should be shocked that Reiji was dating Saturn…or Saphir, whatever. He settled on the latter. At least then they wouldn't start their usual screaming match quite yet.

"Wow, I never knew Reiji was like that…" Shinji opened his mouth to say something Satoshi was sure insulted his intelligence—probably pointing out that his brother wore a pink shirt and an apron most of the time—so he didn't give him the chance to even start. "Are you okay with that? You know, two guys together?"

"That's not your business either." Satoshi frowned, but Shinji wasn't done. "I guess I could tell you though…" He took a few steps closer to his rival, who didn't react one way or another. Determined to get a reaction, he took a few more…then a few more…until there was barely an inch between them. Still, nothing. Interesting…

Shinji suddenly shoved Satoshi back, making the other boy bump into a tree. He groaned at the slight pain in his back, but he was more concerned about the suddenly lack of distance between him and Shinji, who was now in his face, pinning his arms to the tree above his head. He could hear Pikachu calling with concern, but Satoshi wasn't afraid. Confused and angry, sure, but not scared.

"What's your problem? If you didn't wanna tell me you should've just—"

"Shut up and listen," Shinji growled, his lips hovering over Satoshi's ear. "You wanted an answer, and I'm giving you one. I hate to think I'd have to sink to your impetuous violent ways, but if you were stupid enough to just _pretend_ you've wanted this, I will beat you so hard not even your Pikachu will recognize your body."

Satoshi couldn't ask what he meant, because there was suddenly a pair of insistent lips upon his. He was so surprised by the turn of events that he didn't even resist when Shinji forced his tongue into his mouth. This…this was his first real kiss. Not a kiss on the forehead or cheek, but a real messy, sloppy first kiss between two teenagers who didn't have a clue what they were doing.

Shinji was getting frustrated. He'd never kissed anyone before—he'd never _wanted_ to—but he'd walked in on Reiji and Saphir enough over the years. There was no way he was doing that bad, so why wasn't Satoshi doing anything but stand there? Reiji had said to do what came natural, and he was. It was perfectly natural for him just to take what he wanted and to hell with the consequences. If this backfired, Satoshi wouldn't be the only one he'd beat…

Just as Shinji was about to give up and see how hard he could punch before Pikachu intervened, a pair of hesitant lips finally began to respond. It was about time. While Satoshi obviously didn't have a hormonal brother to walk in on, he was at least a quick study, mimicking what Shinji was doing to him. Lips here, tongue there, one hand going up, the other down, cue a moan… Pikachu couldn't even watch anymore, turning around to give his master some privacy. It was pretty obvious the other boy wasn't hurting him…

Neither was sure who pulled away first, but they were soon both panting, their foreheads still pressed together, hands gripping each other like their lives depended on it. Nothing was said for several minutes as they caught their breath…

"So…does this mean you're coming to Jouto?" Shinji didn't have it in him to get mad at the moment, so he settled for rolling his eyes and pulling his rival closer.

"Yes you idiot, that's exactly what it means."

* * *

Satoshi walked though Kogane City, not for the first time in his life, though it was for one of his companions this time.

"Oh Satoshi, we gotta find that contest hall soon! I just gotta win that ribbon!" He smiled at Hikari's determination. She's had many rivals in Shinou, though as far as they'd been able to tell so far, only Naoshi and Urara had gone to Jouto as well. Satoshi himself already had all the gym badges in the region, but he was training to take on Jouto's Battle Frontier. Well, that and to defend his title against a certain rival…

"Don't worry, we'll find it," he assured her, though he had to admit he was looking for said rival more than the contest hall. He said he'd be there…

"You'll never find Shinji in this crowd," Takeshi teased his longtime friend, making Hikari giggle as his face flushed. The day in the forest when they got together, his friends had eventually caught up and found them making out against that same tree. He was glad they'd taken it well, though sometimes he wondered if Hikari cared a bit _too much_ about it…

"And if you do, make sure you finish watching my contest before you go running off with him, okay?" …Yeah, definitely too much.

"H-hey you two, just leave me alone! That's just between us!" His flustered protest only made them laugh more, and he had to make an effort not to pout. The things he put up with…

"Don't you know that you shouldn't mess with other people's property?" A familiar voice filled Satoshi's ears…and a familiar hand cupped his bottom. Satoshi hadn't thought his face could get any redder, but he was proven wrong.

While Hikari giggled madly, he yanked Shinji's hand up to rest on his hip instead. The glare he sent his rival was met with vaguely amused indifference. That was probably the biggest surprise of their unconventional relationship—rather than be obsessed with keeping it a secret as Satoshi had thought he would, Shinji simply didn't _care_. If he wanted to make out in the middle of a crowded street, than that was _exactly_ what he did, consequences be damned. Satoshi never knew whether he should be relieved he wasn't just Shinji's dirty little secret or upset that they were going to get in trouble for disturbing the peace one of those days.

"Sorry Shinji," Hikari managed to say through her giggling. "We'll be nice… Oh, do you wanna see my contest?" Like hell he did, and they all knew it, but she always asked regardless. Rather than respond when she knew what he'd say, he jerked his thumb to the east.

"It's that way." She thanked him and rushed off in that direction, yelling over her shoulder for Satoshi not to take too long. Takeshi followed after her, Pikachu at his feet, knowing he wasn't welcome at the moment. Satoshi almost wished he'd stayed. He knew what was coming next…

Yep, Shinji spun him around and pulled him to his chest, crashing their lips together. If he didn't enjoy this so much, he swore…

"Mommy, what are those boys doing?" Oh, sometimes Satoshi _really_ wanted to hit him.

"Come on Shinji," he said through the kiss, trying not to think about the mother leading her curious child away in embarrassment. "T-the contest…"

"Tch, whatever," Shinji said as he pulled away, sounding more annoyed than he felt. "I have something I need to do anyway. Come to my room after you're done." He pressed a key into Satoshi's palm, smirking when his rival's blush came back. Too easy…

"Right, see ya then…" He quickly made his way after his friends before Shinji decided to change his mind. He stopped after a few seconds and turned around, a smile on his face. "Love ya!"

Shinji watched him go until he could no longer see his rival…boyfriend…whatever. Reiji was the type to have a boyfriend; he was the type to have a rival he just happened to kiss out of the blue when the mood struck him. Something that got him what he wanted, but wasn't sentimental drivel like most couples exhibited. Still…he supposed his interest might be considered love. One day he might tell Satoshi that, but not yet.

He made his way to the Kogane City Hotel, making his way to his room in peace. No one bothered him, just as always. He looked like he hated the world after all, and he wasn't going to waste his breath correcting the fools.

Once in his room, the door locked after him, he made his way to the video phone. Better to get this over with… He dialed the number to Tobari City, not bothering to mask his boredom when Reiji's face popped on the screen.

"Ah, you made it! Great! How are things? Have you met up with Satoshi and his friends yet?" Shinji ignored the frivolous small talk and got to the point.

"He's meeting me here after that airhead's contest is over. I'm going to make sure he has trouble walking tomorrow." He smirked when Reiji cocked an eyebrow. "Now, why do you insist I call you every damn time I get to a new town? It's not like I've never left Shinou before." Getting over his brother's bold statement quickly enough, Reiji smirked right back.

"Just want to make sure my baby brother is staying out of trouble… Don't worry, once I'm sure you won't have sex in the middle of the street, I'll let you be." Shinji muttered something about no one being dumb enough to do that. "Oh, you'd be surprised what you'll do when you have a hot little boyfriend being absolutely irresistible. Saphir and I were lucky no one went down that alley…"

"I'm going." Reiji almost pointed out that it seemed Shinji could dish it out but not take it, but he let it go. Saphir was yelling something from the other room about taking a shower, and he wasn't about to miss _that_.

"Well, have fun. See you later!" The screen went black as Reiji actually hung up first for once. If Satoshi thought _he_ couldn't keep his pants on, he had no idea about his brother…

With his brotherly duty done, he laid on the bed, waiting for the contest to end and his rival to arrive so they could make up for the time they missed each other traveling around. One of those days he'd thank Reiji for telling him what he needed to hear to get him in this position…

Maybe Shinji didn't go around telling people every little thing he liked, but with someone like Satoshi around, he was going to let the whole world know there was at least one thing he was fond of, and it was _all his_.


End file.
